A key chosen by darkness
by The Swordslinger
Summary: "Your dream has ended. You have nothing worth fighting for. Your bonds will shatter. Your heart belongs to the darkness! You are mine! Everything you love is gone... I will be all you need Naruto." The light always has champions, but darkness itself chose one in the form of a betrayed child. Takes place after the battle at the Valley of the End and the start of the first KH game.
1. Odd start

I OWN NOTHING

Someone gave me an odd idea for Naruto to be in Kingdom Hearts, and it looked like real fun. It's not me taking a challenge, more like I'm just using an angle to go nuts like I'm brimming with Viking rage.

 **XXXXXX**

Odd start

 **YOUR**

 **DREAM**

 **HAS**

 **ENDED**

It was a sunny day at the beach he found himself in, and he would have enjoyed it if not for the jolt of pain and the numbness of soreness shaking him and swiftly taking him down respectively.

"He's awake!" A voice, female undoubtedly, called to some figures that rushed at him through the sand.

Good, a girl would now see how beaten up he was and… "Where am I?!" he shouted once his sudden adrenaline burst from the harsh realization that he was somewhere unknown hit him. He regretted it when pain coursed through his sore chest, and yet he managed to notice that while he should have probably died from the pain, his forehead felt lighter. Something was missing, a headband.

He couldn't guess what it was when the sun blinded him, and he couldn't properly get up because the girl was gently pushing him back down on his back. "S-Stay still, ok?! H… How are you still alive?" the girl breathed out. Unexpectedly, he wondered the same thing and questioned if he was already dead by any chance.

For starters, a girl with a cute voice was tending to him, and yet he felt like he had been swallowed by a pit of pure darkness, horror and pain, chewed a good twenty times, and then spat down a hill. He tried to form words; the taste of copper invaded his mouth before he could utter one. His chin was dripping the warm copper-flavored liquid after a very painful cough. His chest felt void in the literal way right where his heart was due to the large hole there.

He struggled to breathe evenly, and grunted weakly, "Water, please…"

The girl quickly put a cup of water above his mouth and let the cold, refreshing liquid clean his mouth and face. She immediately pulled another and put it near his lips, bending it enough so he could get a proper if slow drink. It was then that he took into account that his head rested in her lap, with his messy and spiky yellow hair splattering her thighs with some blood. And while one hand steadily let him drink, the other was holding the massive hole in his chest where he had been impaled just recently.

Last time he checked, a fourteen year old had rammed his lightning cloaked arm in his chest without hesitation or remorse.

And he recalled he had never been this well attended by a cute girl in… ever, actually.

"Kairi, is he…?" another voice started, though like the blond's it was that of a young teen, so he had no idea if it could be male or female. The sunlight was still a pain to deal with both metaphorically and literally. About the one thing he could make of the newcomer was a far spikier hairdo than his.

"I think he's still alive, Sora." The girl, Kairi, whispered softly to the new arrival, Sora. "The only question is… how?"

"W-Water…" he didn't want to urge them, but he could use some more water, and perhaps a doctor.

"Don't talk!" Sora said, and he could feel the sand shift when whoever Sora was kneeled before him and put some more pressure on the hole on his chest so Kairi could give him more water, "Are you still with us?"

His eyes fluttered, trying to take in his surroundings, but his eyelids felt too heavy, so he grunted an affirmative, "Don't worry. Our friend Riku should come soon with the doctor." Kairi said soothingly, using another cup of the refreshing liquid to wipe his hair and her thighs off blood, "You're lucky we prepared ourselves for this summer with a small party here."

Trying to be humorous while he was dying… it was endearing, to be honest. At least she tried to take his mind away from the fact Sora was still trying to keep him from bleeding all over the sand with his hands adding pressure to the enormous hole in his chest holding a large piece of cloth. Speaking of clothing, he could feel something else was missing…

"Sorry about the jacket." Sora said, "It was the only thing we had to stop the bleeding, and it was already torn to shreds."

He cursed, he really did like that bright neon orange jacket. Anyone could say anything they wanted about his fashion sense, but having a cool orange jacket removed from his body was like stealing his very spirit. They'd have to take it from his cold, dead fingers… Ok, perhaps he shouldn't be thinking that considering how close he was to dying. At least it was doing a good job of keeping him alive. No matter what, he'd remember his jacket, keeping him alive at the worst moment of his life yet his jacket had proven to be the best jacket he could ever have.

"I'm here with… whoa, is he still kicking?!" he heard a deeper voice than Sora's, possibly Riku.

"Somehow." Sora told the new arrival who stood by his side while someone else, possibly a proper doctor, started to examine the large hole he had where his heart should be.

"That is a terrifying will to live." Riku, if the one checking him up was the doctor Kairi mentioned, whispered in awe. Oh, he should have seen him getting turned into a human pincushion by an androgynous shinobi, or facing a twenty story tall sand raccoon with murder in mind. Those were fun compared to his current situation, though.

He felt a pinch from a needle piercing his neck, and soon everything was a soothing wave of unconsciousness.

 **YOU**

 **HAVE**

 **NOTHING**

 **WORTH**

 **FIGHTING**

 **FOR**

Opening just one eye proved to him that light was quickly becoming his worst enemy. Well, second worst, first being the pounding headache that accompanied the dizziness that came from losing too much blood. But through determination he focused his eyes on the light around him, taking in colors and shapes through the filter that was waking up. His mind was foggy at best, and his stomach could have been doing better. It felt empty, like he hadn't eaten anything at all, and yet he wasn't hungry at all.

Adding to his growing mental list of why he hated whatever happened to him, his mouth tasted like copper even if it felt clean, and he couldn't move much.

Deep cerulean eyes caught a mirror on the wall to examine himself. Bright yellow hair usually set in an urchin-like style of spikes fell down on his scalp in a shaggy hairdo, and it was much longer, reaching his chin now. His face was still foxy with his cheeks carrying each three lines akin to whiskers on a kitsune mask, but he noticed that it had lost a lot if not all baby fat. His right arm had a tube currently giving him nutrients and much needed serums directly into his circulatory system. His small fourteen year old body was clad in a set of blue hospital pajamas, with the three top buttons undone to let a newly formed scar breathe.

"You're awake!"

He recognized the voice, it felt like he had heard it moments ago but, by the look of things, it may have been far longer. And yet, he forced himself to look at Kairi. Deep blue eyes kind of like his stared back, a short mop of red hair adorned a round, innocent and cute face. Her outfit consisted of a white top and purple skirt.

"About time!" said the second voice he had been introduced after he arrived at the beach. "I… I don't know what else to say but hello."

Another set of blue orbs stared at him with a goofy grin, and Naruto had to blink twice to make sure he wasn't seeing things when looking at the haircut. Spikes of brown poked to the sides like swords. Sora, as he recognized the teen by the voice, had a red onesie with a large zipper, the legs covering the knees, and a short sleeved black hoodie with white sleeves. He also had very large yellow shoes and, what Naruto thought was kind of cool, a silver crown necklace.

Kairi set a couple of daisies in the vase resting on the nightstand to his right while Sora pulled a couple of chairs for the two teens to look at him.

"Hi…" he groaned weakly, more like grunted. His body still hurt all over, but he had to speak, "Where… am I? And… how long have I… been here…?" making such simple questions made his chest hurt.

"You're at the hospital, we helped take you here after finding you in Destiny Islands." Sora explained.

Kairi pulled a pair of chocolate bars out of her skirt, handing them to him, "And you've been sleeping for… quite some time. We've been visiting you regularly to make sure you were all right and got to eat something better than hospital food."

His right hand trembled but made sure to stretch enough to grab the candy, "…who… are you?" he mumbled, still feeling like he was in either a dream or his way to a morgue, in a body bag.

"I'm Sora, and this is my friend Kairi." Said the spiky mess of brown that was Sora right now in his eyes.

Kairi put her hand to his forehead, "Are you ok? You're looking sick."

He focused his eyes, and could see true worry on their faces. He could finally make out that Sora was a boy and was around his age, explaining why his voice wasn't deep enough to convey he was male. Not like he was one to talk. He could also see Kairi's eyes, filled with concern he had never seen before.

"N… Naruto…" he whispered, getting them to tilt their heads to the side, "That's… my name…"

"Nice to meet you!" Sora said with a smile so bright there was no way it could be anything but genuine, "Where did you come from?"

It was awkward after that question popped, and he turned his face away from the two, "It's all right." Said Kairi, "It's hard to arrive somewhere you don't know. I… I know what that feels, but I won't pretend I know what you're feeling right now."

"No… it's all right." Naruto shook his head, "You helped me…" he chuckled weakly.

"How did you get here, then?" Sora asked.

Naruto closed his eyes, remembering a pair of orbs staring at him in pure cold hatred, "I tried to stop… someone I thought was a friend from betraying our village." Saying that plain and simple was like getting a weight lifted off his body.

Kairi narrowed her eyes, "Then they didn't act very friend." The state the blond was in when he first arrived was hard to look at to say the least, and to think someone caused him such pain was harder to swallow.

"I just wanted to try and stop him from doing something… really stupid." he groaned, still in pain, but did his best to keep a reassuring smile.

Sora patted his shoulder, "Take it easy." He paused, unsure of what to say as he tried to form the right words, "Whatever happened, you're safe and alive for now. You don't have to fight while we got your back."

A weak snort of amusement left him, "Heh, sounds good."

Silence reigned the room for what felt like an eternity, no one wanted to say a thing, except for a third voice he recognized, "You come from another world, don't you?"

It had to be Riku if his memory still worked. Naruto had to blink several times when he saw the boy who had to be about a year older than him. The face reminded him too much of someone he just fought… and unfortunately lost to. The major differences, which he thanked were really noticeable, were that Riku's eyes were bright green, his hair a pale silver and about as long as his at the moment, and he was buff. Not to the point one would call him a meathead if they went by stereotypes, more like a properly trained fighter. He wore a yellow sleeveless shirt that emphasized that, and ballooning blue pants.

"What…?" Naruto asked, confused about the excited smile on Riku's face.

"Do you want to get back?" the boy asked him, extending a hand covered in a black glove. "On the island we found you we have started the finishing touches on our ship. With your help perhaps we can get out to see other worlds. You could-"

Being smart enough to put her hand on her friend's mouth, Kairi gave the blond a smile and spoke over the muffled protests of her albino friend, "Excuse him. As you can see Riku here has been really eager to see you wake up." She then gave said boy a motherly look of disapproval, "And you could at least introduce yourself."

The lad smiled sheepishly at the blond once his mouth was free, "Sorry… I can't believe there's another person from another world here." He properly extended his hand to the blond for a shake, "I'm Riku."

"Naruto." The blond said as he firmly shook hands with the older boy.

"Do you really come from another world? If so, what's it like?" Sora asked just as eager as Riku, making Kairi sigh but Naruto could see more than the hint of a smile as she stared at Sora.

"I… I think it's like this one, but… not quite…" he tried to be honest, and pulled the chocolate bars closer to his face, "I don't even know what these are."

Sora looked horrified, "You never tasted chocolate before?!" the idea of other worlds without chocolate was terrifying.

Naruto stared at the bars, confused, "These are… chocolate?" he has tasted the stuff, but had never seen in such a weird form.

The trio before him watched him take a large bite out of the bars, without taking out the wrapping. Kairi had to put both hands to her mouth to avoid laughing when Naruto's face cringed at the taste of plastic and he looked at the bars once again. Sora let out a chuckle and helped the blond, showing him the chocolate hidden inside.

"There, so… you really are from another world, then." The brunet stated. "That's the only reason I can think of for not knowing how to open a chocolate bar."

Riku had a hand on his chin, "That or he's really dumb."

"Hey!" Naruto shouted.

The green eyed boy smirked and waved dismissively, "I'm just messing with you. But seriously, would you like to come with us and see other worlds?"

He had his hand extended, which soon got joined by Sora's. The spiky haired boy grinned wider than before and placed his hand over his friend's, "We can help you get back home if you want us to, or we can just have fun wherever we go."

Kairi smiled sheepishly and placed her hand on top of Sora's, "That and we could use a guide. What do you say? The more the merrier?"

Naruto stared blankly at their hands, "Wh… Why are you helping me?" he finally asked, "You don't even know me and just treat me like this. Is this only because you want to go to… other worlds?" asking that felt odd. The concept of his village and everything around it being part of something much, much bigger really worried him. If there was more, how much was there? And how long would it take him to get back home?

"Do you need a reason to help someone?" Sora asked with his goofy grin still in place, "No? Good, because that's all there is to it!"

Naruto stared at him and the others, and he couldn't contain the chuckle that escaped him as he placed his hand on top of theirs.

 **YOUR**

 **BONDS**

 **WILL**

 **SHATTER**

"This is your ship?"

It had been just a day since he was allowed to get out of the hospital, and in that same day he was taken back to the place he met the odd trio and their ship, a raft. Back on the beach, Naruto was wearing a pair of pants and a shirt that Riku and Sora kindly gave him seeing that his pants, the only piece of clothing that remained intact, were caked in blood and the stains wouldn't come out. Now he had a black t-shirt, black cargo pants with purple pouches and a large purple belt keeping them up. He even got a pair of large but incredibly comfortable purple shoes like Sora's but, as said before, purple.

Kairi leaned against the mast, smiling as she finished an amulet with a smile. Naruto for his part went to inspect it, knocking on the mast. He was surprised to see that not only did the trio put effort, but the raft looked genuinely strong. Perhaps not strong enough to take on a fearsome storm, but it could get them somewhere. He actually saw proper rations such as fish, coconuts, and mushrooms even.

"We doubled our rations for our guide." Riku said with a smile and his hands on his hips.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, feeling heat on his cheeks, "You didn't have to… You still don't know me at all."

Riku nodded with determination, "I know, and we saw how you arrived here. It will be dangerous out there too, but…" he looked down with a sad smile, "These islands are all we've known. I will put my life on the line if it means we can see a new world."

Sora smiled, pumping a fist up to the sun, "Imagine how different they are! It's worth a shot just to see them… I want to see them all!"

Naruto turned to the redhead, who smiled in response, "Yes, even I want to see new worlds, but…" she looked at the two boys, "I do like it in here. This is the place where I met these two."

"Aw, you're going to make poor Sora blush." Riku taunted, making the brunet jump at him.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Heh…" the three turned to Naruto, who looked as surprised at the fact that he had chuckled, "Sorry, I just… found this funny."

Kairi smirked, "You get used to it when hanging around them for some time. They're practically brothers, the older one that likes to boast a lot, and the cute younger one that needs to learn more tact."

"Hey!" both boys yelled in unison, making Naruto chuckle more.

' _These guys… they're all right._ ' He watched their bickering quickly turn into a playful banter exchanging jokes and smiles, ' _I guess I can be their guide. I may not be as strong as I wanted, but I can at least try for them._ '

"Hey Naruto!" Riku snapped him out of his thoughts while putting Sora in a headlock while Kairi, somehow, had the albino in a headlock of her own, "Stop moping around! And tell us something."

"What is it?" Naruto asked quickly, feeling his body stiffen.

Sora got out of the headlock he was in while Kairi let go of Riku, the brunet speaking, "Which do you think is a cooler name for our ship? Excalibur, a pretty cool name if I say so myself, or Highwind?"

"A much cooler and more fitting name." Riku quipped.

He looked at Kairi for help, and the cute redhead waved her hands energetically, "Oh no, they asked you because I want even less to have anything do with this."

"Well…" Naruto ruffled his longer hair. He pondered to cut it but, truth be told, it didn't look that bad on him now longer, "How about Excalibur?"

Sora pumped his fists, a split second away from jumping into the air, "Yes! In your face!"

Riku smiled, "If you want to make it official, how about you earn the name?" he wouldn't give up that easily.

The two locked glares, and seeing Kairi sigh with a smile on her face made Naruto realize something… He really wanted to be friends with these guys. He watched Riku and Sora race for the right to get their chosen name for the raft. He watched Riku telling his friend something about a fruit and Kairi, easily getting Sora flustered and making the spiky haired kid run faster than he thought he would.

Naruto heard them clearer now, "About the Paopu fruit, that was a joke so don't worry." That's what he got.

"What's a Paopu fruit?" he asked the teens.

Sora smiled, hands on the back of his head and a cheeky air around him at the idea he was explaining someone something, "It's a special fruit in the shape of a star. Legend has it that if two people share one their destinies are tied together for eternity."

Naruto's eyes went to Kairi, and then to Sora with a cheeky grin on his whiskered face, making Riku laugh, "See Sora? Even he knows? That's how painful it is to see you crushing on- ow!" he didn't get to say more when his smaller friend smashed his foot on the albino's toe.

Kairi had just arrived to see Riku and Sora fighting again with Naruto laughing at the sight, "So, are you used to these two yet?" she asked the blond.

Wiping tears from his eyes, he answered truthfully, "I wouldn't ask for things to be different."

She looked down, but her smile didn't fall, "Tomorrow will be the day… So you better get ready."

He nodded, unable to keep his smile from beaming brighter.

"Oh, want to go home with me?" Sora asked once he and Riku stopped fighting, "I have everything ready at my place, so you don't have to worry."

Naruto pondered on it, "Well… I was supposed to go to the orphanage. But…" he looked at the raft, "I think I'd prefer to sleep here and be ready for whenever you guys want to leave."

Riku stared at him, clearly suspicious of his intentions, "Sorry for being this blunt, but you have to be honest. That is a very odd request to make, and you are right on saying we don't know much about you. We do trust you, but that request was too convenient."

Kairi nodded silently, "I have to agree with Riku, but…" she smiled at the blond, "I trust you. I don't know why but… the way you speak is like you mean every word you say. Like someone I know."

Sora tilted his head to the side, "Was that a compliment?"

Riku let out a humored noise through his nose, "Fine, if they trust you, I will give you the benefit of the doubt." He told the blond.

Naruto smiled and bowed, a smile on his face, "Thanks! I will protect this raft no matter what! That's a promise and I never go back on my word!" he felt tempted to call it his ninja way, but that had only brought him trouble after his last battle.

Sora smiled, "Well said!" he raised a hand and Naruto high-fived him.

It was like those worries had melted just like that, it really was good to have friends.

Too good, in the eyes of someone.

 **YOUR**

 **HEART**

 **BELONGS**

 **TO**

 **THE**

 **DARKNESS**

 **! ! !**

Thunder waking you up is a sign that you either have to get yourself a decent alarm clock or that you're in for trouble.

As the three kids said, Naruto found their trust to be great when they gave him a tent, sleeping bag and even brought him a decent enough dinner before each riding on their boats home. He poked his head out of the tent to find lightning and clouds of pure black that obscured everything. No wonder he woke up after that loud thunder. But there were more important matters at hand, like running straight to the raft to make sure it was still in one piece.

He quickly put on his clothes and dashed out, glad to find the wooden ship still in one piece. The water was starting to get violent with the wind and the promise of more lightning worried him. It was a good time as any to see if he hadn't been sleeping for too long and save the ship his new friends worked so hard on. With a firm grim, he pulled it away from the rising waves, thankful that the sand allowed it to slide easier.

But once he managed to get it a safe enough distance away from the water, the blond quickly slumped and nearly fell on his knees. He put his hands on them to keep his balance.

"Did that really tire me out?" he growled and clenched his fist, "What's wrong with me?"

"Your resolve is incomplete." Naruto gasped and spun on his heels to find a tall cloaked figure, "And your determination will soon break because of it."

Naruto bore his teeth at the man, "Why're you making fun of me, old man?!"

"Anger, a fitting response coming from you…" the figure paused as if to examine him, "Chosen by darkness, clinging to a meaningless light. What is your life worth when your battles are not for yourself?"

Naruto stared at the man partially baffled and mostly intrigued. He got his fists up with a single question, "What do you know about me? No, how do you know about me?"

The figure's deep voice whispered in a cold monotone, "Like the boy chosen by light… you who knows nothing can understand nothing."

Something clicked in his head, "Sora…?" he clenched his fists and got ready for a fight, "I may not know who you are old man, but I promised to keep this place safe even if it means fighting creeps like you!"

Rather than being intimidated, the man rose a hand, "A desire like yours can be granted. The power to get everything you wish to have in your grasp. All you have to do is to welcome the darkness."

And from the ground, shadows appeared. Naruto gasped when they moved, squirmed and, eventually, got up on their feet. Small imp-like creatures with bodies made of pure darkness surrounded him yet ignored the man, their small hunched bodies resembling ants with their round heads and antennae, yet also reminding him of beetles in some parts. Their feet wobbled around, their tiny arms sported claws, and piercing blank yellow eyes stared into his soul.

One of them jumped at the blond, claws at the ready. Not even when the little imp got greeted by a punch and flew over his head did the figure twitch, to which Naruto raised a finger to, "I know and understand something, I am going to kick you out of this island if it's the last thing I do!"

The cloaked man left, leaving Naruto with the shadowy imps. The blond growled as they all circled around him, wobbling and shaking their heads in odd manners, like they were searching for everything around them. Seeing that they were a big group, Naruto decided to even his odds and put his hands on a seal, smirking all the way.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he cried, his shout filling the air…

Nothing but wind replied to his shout.

"What-" he couldn't let his blood freeze from the shock when another imp rushed at him from below, merging with the floor and attempting to get him after jumping at him. Naruto quickly cartwheeled away with one hand, after that he had a brief moment to watch his own hands in a stunned state, "Where did my chakra go to? Wait, that old fart!"

It made sense… or did it? That man did nothing, so why was he without chakra?

Was it the fox? Was it the one that tried to literally destroy his heart? Or, perhaps, was it something else?

Whatever the case, he was still surrounded at all sides, and forced to roll out of the way of three imps jumping at him. At least he still had his reflexes and basic training to help him.

But like the man said, he understood nothing because he knew nothing.

And more of those shadow imps started to pop out, making his blood boil, "Ok… I know nothing but that doesn't mean I'll let you harm anyone here!" he put his fists up and raced at them with a battle cry.

Punches and kicks received every single imp he found in his way, sending them flying back or causing them to fall down to the floor. But the more he punched, the more Naruto could see them getting right back up nonstop. He used a lashing circular kick to get three across the face, but when they fell they briefly turned into black puddles for a quick rest before getting back up like nothing happened.

Soon the small platoon turned into a horde of imps, and then into a swarm that started to truly overwhelm him. And yet the blond didn't stop fighting, taking their swipes with his arms stopping their blows. He ignored the blood dripping and kept on fighting. Even if it was a losing battle, he wanted to fight.

He had a promise to keep, right?

It was when he was finally getting winded that he started to back down, fists still up and mouth gasping for air as a sea of imps tried to reach him, "I'm not giving up… So do your worst!" he screamed at them, opening his arms to let them have their shot. He had a risky plan, ' _If they all charge at me as one, I can try to kick them and make a way to get to that old man. He must be the one behind this, so if I beat him then-_ '

His thoughts ended when he felt something land on his back, making him fall to his knees. He just turned his head to see the small imp's claws on his shoulders and its eyes staring right at his. And thus he didn't get to do a thing when all the imps jumped at him, finally bringing him down. Each one pinned him down violently, their vicious needle like claws scratching and piercing him, the one on his back wrapped its claws around his neck in an almost possessive manner, its head crushing his while it used its shockingly heavy body to pull him, the last thing he saw was the dark purple clouds above consume the moon, before a mass of black bodies covered him completely.

 **YOU**

 **ARE**

 **MINE**

 **! ! !**

He fell and fell for what seemed hours in this dream. Or, was it a dream? He didn't know, but it was all too real. Thus he ended opening his eyes, landing safely in a circular crystal platform very well designed. Looking around himself at the endless darkness he felt slightly nervous as he had no idea of what had happened or where he was, only that this was scaring him to no end.

And from the void surrounding him, it appeared.

A large creature with red glowing eyes surrounded by red veins, purple claws at the end of four strong legs meant for hunting, a body large enough to cramp a bedroom, chains wrapped around its two front wrists, and a jagged mouth set into a permanent smile. Its head with several spikes that made him think of a lion's mane shook in anticipation. It looked more than ready to fight, it looked hungry!

It was even wagging its long, red-tipped tail!

Naruto stood petrified as it walked to him, its maw wide… and something snapped. Not only the being's nose as Naruto punched it, but something in the blond just snapped as he delivered the hardest punch he had ever thrown. He cringed as his knuckles went numb from the strike, but he still pushed his fist back to sink in the creature's face further.

It didn't flinch, at all.

"Well… It was worth a shot." He mumbled, getting ready for another fight. So imagine his surprise when the large dark being neared him, and lowered its head in submission. Of course he was stupefied to the point of paralysis but as he watched the now docile being his right hand reached to its head and petted it.

Suddenly, everything was a blur of darkness.

Naruto found himself standing up on the beach near the raft, gasping for breath and looking around for an answer of what happened. While in the middle of a nerve-wrecking nightmare, he noted his body felt slightly heavier, and more covered up. He was wearing a rather cool purple cloak with the hood over his head and several zippers over his biceps for no reason in particular. The hood covered part of his face, but had two zippers at the sides slightly opened so his vision wasn't fully obscured. The cloak reached all the way to his knees, and instead of buttons it had seven belts that could have kept it closed had they been buckled, showing his now slimmer form through his new t-shirt. His pants and shoes remained the same, but his hands had gloves with an odd emblem.

On the back of his new black gloves as the symbol of a red shattered heart, and most importantly on his right hand was a sword.

"What the…"

"Your mind doesn't seem to understand, but your heart knows." Said the man that had already earned a good amount of his anger, "That is why your blade is incomplete."

Naruto stared at the sword in question. It was about three foot long, had a cylindrical purple handle, and a double-edged pitch black blade with a very, very sharp edge. It had no guard, just a red tear-shaped gem connecting the handle with the straight blade. And last but not least, it had a black chain on the pummel with something missing on the last link.

The boy gripped it, "Complete or not, I'm going to use it to protect everyone here from you and your bugs!"

The man didn't lose a moment to reply, "Still meaningless. You who are chosen by darkness will not escape it. You are the one that the Heartless, no, the darkness itself needs."

The youth snapped, "And I don't care!" he jumped at the figure and swung his new sword at it. He had no proper training with a blade but he knew his way around a kunai enough.

Imps jumped between them, taking the strike for the man. Naruto watched as he finally harmed them, with his sword cutting them in half. As soon as the imps fell he watched in stunned silence as they dispersed into black motes of pure darkness. Soon after, their remains merged into the ground, and slithered towards him akin to a snake made out of black smoke. Thinking quickly, he brought up the sword to block whatever attack could come his way. His shock doubled when the blade absorbed the shadows.

"In due time you shall." The man said, "The more you battle, the more power you will achieve. The more power you have, the greater you can hold on to what you desire." Those were his words before leaving Naruto once again.

Naruto stared at the incomplete sword in his hands, doing his best as accepting what happened, "Naruto?"

It was Sora, looking just as shocked as him after what had happened, and holding a far odder blade than Naruto had. What the brunet had was best described as a large key of sorts with a golden guard around the black handle, a silver "blade" which teeth made him think it was more of an axe, and a keychain of three circles that, for some reason, made him think of a mouse.

Naruto wondered if he didn't recognize him because of what he was wearing, and if the hood hid his face that well, but then again his birthmarks could tell who he was from a mile away.

The two exchanged a glance, knowing they had much to ask, but Sora's eyes quickly shot themselves to one side and then to the other until he lowered his head, "I am glad you're safe, I saw a light come from here and thought you were in danger." he clenched his teeth, "I need your help. I know this is crazy, and I can see you've also had it rough, but…"

"Hey." Naruto said, resting the flat side of his sword on his shoulder, "It's those monsters, those shadows that have been messing this island up. We have to stop them and keep everyone safe!" Sora nodded, but he looked shaken up. Naruto didn't want to ask, after what happened things looked too bleak to lose time, but the question had to be made, "What's happened to Riku and Kairi?"

Sora paused as he and Naruto reached a waterfall, "Riku…" he turned to Naruto with a smile, "He'll be all right, I know! He's stronger than he looks."

Naruto felt like he had seen that smile far too much, mostly when he forced it. "And Kairi?" like Riku said, it was obvious that Sora liked the girl. Naruto himself couldn't blame him, but since Sora had trusted and helped the whiskered boy along Riku and the redhead the blond wouldn't try to win the girl's affection. Besides, she did glance at the brunet from time to time, he wasn't going to interfere in what they had.

Sora's look said it all, and the two rushed into a corner near the waterfall where a door waited for them. Without a second of hesitation Sora opened it and went in, and before Naruto could follow he was smacked aside by someone.

"What a shame…" said a voice, female and lacking of emotions. It was like the cloaked man's in that aspect, only that this person sounded like her every syllable had a threat to it.

Rolling on the ground for a landing hurt his pride, but didn't stop him from getting up and readying himself for battle.

"What the…" the sight of her baffled him.

The woman had ridiculously long white hair parted down the middle of her head, very pale skin, small eyebrows that could be best described as white dots, and three eyes set on him. Lavender orbs missing any pupils were on both sides of her nose, and in the center of her forehead rested a single red orb that brought him bad memories. Her face was beautiful but cold, as if the existence of life itself offended her. And her body was hidden by a snow white kimono, with red symbols that reminded him of a magatama, a stone polished into the shape of the number 9 with spiritual properties. But that didn't distract him from perhaps the most striking feature she had, aside from the three eyes glaring into life itself, the two horns on top of her head that resembled bunny ears.

"After you failed to bring your ally back, attempting to save a traitor at that, you find new friends." her face and voice remained icy, "If not for that foolish child trying to remove you of their life, I wouldn't have been forced to act. You see, Naruto, darkness found you to be quite the catch. Yet you cling to your light even at this moment…"

Her hand reached to his chest, where he had been stabbed, "Why are you and that old fart so intent on talking like you're so mysterious?!"

She didn't reply, instead she stopped where she was and retreated her hand, "I see, so that is why it found you so… intriguing." She explained in her monotone, "You have every reason to give in to the darkness and yet unlike the one that betrayed you, you Naruto choose to remain in the light instead of easily giving in to the darkness. You want and desire power, but while the darkness provides, you desire it to be your own."

"Talk some sense!" he shouted and tried to strike her.

His thoughts came to a screeching halt when the woman caught the dark sword in between her fingers, before her free hand went to her kimono, "You have so much power at your fingertips, and still want to earn it instead of taking it… A strength I sadly don't share." She grabbed the hem of her kimono, Naruto blushing hotly as she opened it.

She exposed the upper part of her chest where, over her milky skin, was a now familiar symbol, the same one he had on the back of his gloves: a broken heart.

"Who are you?" he asked, trying to yank his sword but finding out he would have better luck dreaming about it.

She finally showed an emotion, a ghost of a smile, "I have decided to become one with the darkness. After being sealed away I had to simply see why it finds you so amusing one way or another." her hand, which he now noticed had very long and far sharper nails, went to his chest, attempting to dig into it.

Naruto watched as her claws dug into the black surface of a chest, not his. She had shoved her arm right through one of the imps, and from the now lifeless carcass she held out a globe of pure darkness. The remains of the shadow were quickly absorbed by his blade once again, making the white haired woman smile wider.

"Oh, darkness has truly favored you. As for my name…" she started again, "I am the goddess that will use darkness to save all worlds… Kaguya Ootsutsuki."

Through determination, and a well-placed kick to her wrist, Naruto freed his sword and slashed at the woman. Kaguya looked unamused as she disinterestedly waved a hand, the air in front of her palm opened into a void with angular edges. And when his sword went in, Naruto was quick to lean to his side before the same blade could get him from the side, where it erupted from another portal.

Did that stop him? Hah, as if!

The boy charged back, and when more of the imps rushed at him from Kaguya's sides, he cut everyone in half. He sensed more behind him and quickly turned around, slashing four in a single swing. Kaguya was amused by this and clapped. He thought she was mocking him, but found even more jumping at him from all sides. The kid kept turning from one side to the other, swinging wildly at every single one of them.

When he was done and it was only him and the tall woman, he finally spoke, "Get out of my way…" he growled at her, "I need to help Sora and Kairi, and you're not stopping me!"

She smirked, clearly amused, "What made you think you'd make it?" a portal opened behind her, "You didn't notice where I took you after I hit you. But it's ok, I can send you back to your friends."

Naruto's heart sank, for with a whim Kaguya shifted the landscape, and that was the last he saw of her that night. Now he was staring at the darkness in the sky, swallowing everything in the island, or what remained of Sora's world. The brunet was on the edge of a sandy chunk of land that floated in the vastness of nothingness while a large dark orb above them absorbed everything like a dark hole.

He was about to call to his fellow fourteen year old, but a loud stomp made them look at something big, very big.

They recognized the eyes as those of the imps, the body was made of the same dark matter, and the silent but clear intent to cause harm loomed over the figure. It was muscular, built like an ox, had short legs, a head covered in black dreadlock-like tendrils that covered most of the face save the piercing yellow eyes, and a hole on its torso in the form of a heart. It even had very, very tiny bat wings on its back.

It was clear it didn't need to fly to cause mayhem.

Something happened in Naruto. The sight of that monster before him, standing on top of Sora's destroyed home with none of the boy's friends in sight, meeting Kaguya, and the sight of the sword in his hand. Taking everything in, he gripped his sword so tightly his knuckles cracked and glared at the giant.

"It's all because of you!" he shouted, snapping Sora out of his shock, "I don't care who or what you are, if you dare to hurt anyone that doesn't want to fight then… you're my enemy!"

He may have never held a sword, but he could at least try. He took a stance, legs spread with his left foot forward, right hand gripping the handle tightly while he kept the sword at his side with the tip lowered, and his left arm up and leveled with his ribcage. He crouched slightly in case he needed to run or dodge anything, and didn't need to mentally prepare himself.

Sora was quick to stick at his side in a pose of his own. Legs spread wide apart with the knees bent, sword held in both hands at waist level on his right side, and his back leaning forward yet keeping itself in as much a straight line as possible. It looked like the brunet at least knew how to hold a sword properly if the way he easily shifted into the stance and quickly found the perfect balance for it said anything.

"Aim for his arms." Sora told him, "And if you can get to the head, don't hold back."

"Didn't plan to." Naruto said with a smirk.

Sora smirked back, "Ready? Let's go!"

The dark giant raised its fist and attempted to crush the two blue eyed kids under it, but the two sword wielding boys were faster. The blond, feeling a boost in speed and strength from the adrenaline, jumped up the fist and ran up the arm into the monster's face and stabbed the giant in the eye with his sword. The giant monster staggered back, unable to clutch its eye the large dark monster decided to take revenge and slapped the blond back to the ground.

"Heads up!" the brunet shouted as he threw his massive key like a boomerang. He nailed the shot right at the same spot Naruto had stabbed the monster. The enormous demonic entity held its face with a single hand, and while its other large round eye remained as alive as the giant, Sora could tell there was now hatred in it aimed right at him. He didn't care, once his key-shaped sword returned to him like some physics defying boomerang he raced to his blond friend and helped him up.

Weakened or not, Naruto found that the giant hit like a fly when compared to a slug medic he knew, "Don't worry, he just hurt my pride." He grunted once on his feet.

With anger coursing through its veins, the monster crouched down to its knees and gathered a large amount of energy into its heart-shaped chest hole. "If he keeps trying to get up, we got to knock him down twice as hard!" Sora shouted and his new friend followed suit.

This time the giant launched three spheres of pure dark energy at the boys. Having nowhere else to go but forward to face a challenge, the two boys stood their ground. As the orbs of dark energy came closer, the blue eyed dup gripped their respective swords tightly and took a swing at the projectiles to swat them out of their way. With an excellent teamwork all incoming attacks were knocked out of the air, allowing them to run at the monster, slashing at its wrists as they charged against the humongous beast's wrists, leaving deep gashes in them. With a jump they climbed by racing over its arms and reached its defenseless head.

The monster embraced himself for the worst, and the worst came. The two blades went right into its head, ultimately ending its existence him. The two boys held on for dear life as it flailed its arms to no avail before falling flatly on his back, shaking what remained on the ground. Having no strength to move after the fatal blow to the head, the monster's body was swept up and absorbed by the blond boy's sword.

"What just happened?" Sora asked with his eyes glued to the blond's sword.

Naruto bit his lip, "I wish I knew."

The two looked up as the darkness consumed everything.

And then…

Everything became darkness.

 **EVERYTHING**

 **YOU**

 **LOVE**

 **IS**

 **GONE**

 **. . .**

 **I**

 **WILL**

 **BE**

 **ALL**

 **YOU**

 **NEED**

 **NARUTO**

 **. . .**

 **XXXXXX**

 **And that's my rap!**

 **Do not worry, this won't follow Kingdom Hearts canon to the letter, Naruto will have his own path differing from Sora's.**

 **As for what brought this fic to be, after finally finishing Undertale and enjoying its amazing soundtrack while crying manly tears, so manly you could never rival their manliness, I was so inspired and moved by the concept of a stranger being capable of changing the world for better or worse while interacting with likeable and quirky characters this just popped out. Seriously, Undertale's soundtrack reminded me too much of Kingdom Hearts. And a certain reader of mine, Zweig, suggested me to do a Naruto/Kingdom Hearts fic like this but with quite some differences. I took the** **N** **main idea and had fun with the possibilities: Naruto befriending Sora, Riku and Kairi and finding himself with a Keyblade of darkness.**

 **And yes, Naruto's sword is a Keyblade, an incomplete one as long as his heart still holds on to the light.**

 **If Sora's chosen by light, then Naruto is chosen by darkness. Why? Well, you'll find out later. No spoilers, sorry.**

 **Swordslinger out!**


	2. Awaken yourself

I OWN NOTHING

Considering the vastness of lovely female characters in the Disney, Square Enix and Kingdom Hearts franchises, I'd like some forgiveness if pairings aren't to your liking, but this is my story.

 **AN** : A response to guest reviewer OrangeAvenger who wondered if Naruto was banished. No, Naruto hasn't been banished. After being defeated by Sasuke he didn't get back to the Leaf, he arrived to Destiny Islands.

 **Warning** : This chapter contains Naruto's first party member. And let's just say this newcomer is best described as a little ball of energy, love, songs, and good comedy. This addition is from a different franchise but don't worry, they'll be the only third party addition here… If that makes sense, I mean, this has two big name licenses and an odd franchise blended in.

 **XXXXXX**

Awaken yourself

 **YOU**

 **ARE**

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **. . .**

Comfortable didn't begin to describe what he felt. His eyelids fluttered open slowly, and he found himself enveloped in a cozy warmth coiling around him. He didn't want to move, he didn't want to fight, and he didn't want to worry about a thing. He just wanted to enjoy the warmth and go numb in its embrace, forget everything that happened.

When he finally opened his eyes, he wished he hadn't. Right in front of him a veritable armada of darkness stood ready. Countless of those shadows imp stared at him surrounding a void, a truly endless landscape that didn't have anything but the emptiness of space and darkness. Of course he tried to move, run off, and find where he was and where were his friends.

His head was pressed against something large and soft, very big, round and tender and with a soft silky texture. He shuddered when the shape registered in his head of what it was and, sure enough, he found his bottom resting on a lap of someone that easily towered over him. Two long and feminine arms kept him in place while the one below him sat on a throne made out of the same bizarre material that the landscape seemed to be made out of. Her long white sleeves gave away who she was.

She stroked his cheek with one hand, running her nails on it, "Did you sleep well, My Liege?" Kaguya asked while keeping his head resting on her pillows, right where the shattered heart emblem rested.

Naruto gasped coldly, his lungs freezing like the only source of warmth was the woman holding him. He blushed even hotter when she rested her head on top of his, his hood off allowed her cheek to rub against his soft long mop of hair. All the while she kept him pressed to hers towering adult body, his still dressed in his new purple cloak and the clothes Sora and Riku gave him.

And as he rested there, held by his enemy, he didn't want to move. He didn't dare to move. He felt too comfortable, lovingly taken care of by the hands of a dark being in a way he had never experienced. He had never even known who his mother was. Almost like she desired to make matters far more awkward to him, Kaguya started to place butterfly kisses on his head and cheeks. Said whiskered cheeks turned bright red. The imps for their part just stood there, watching the pale skinned woman hold the boy that had slain many of their kind.

"Darkness desires you, boy. It craves for every fiber of your being and your whole heart in its grasp." Kaguya cooed, kissing the back of his ear and making him shudder, her lips whispered further into his ears as she held him tighter, "However, you still resist its grip." Her right hand went to his chest, "You still hold to this bothersome light of hope and dreams. Hope that didn't grant you a friend when you held on to it after a traitor tried to kill you. Dreams that shouldn't even be yours when your life has been a game to others."

Her nails started to dig into his skin, making him yelp not at the pain, but the way it felt so… good…

"That's it, forget about it all, and give in…" Naruto shut his eyes… and in a flash he saw them.

Kairi was laughing along him. She was handing Sora an amulet she made herself. She was tending to him when she had no reason to, when she had the right to question who he was. Then Sora was grinning right at him. He was running as fast as he could to beat Riku in a friendly race. The brunet stood by his side to face a monster without a second thought, putting his trust into him. And last but not least, Riku was telling him of his ambitions. The albino was putting great effort into achieving his dream along his friends and a total stranger. He offered to help him get back home despite the dangers.

Snapping his eyes wide open, Naruto reacted as quickly as he could and his elbow smacked Kaguya on her cheek, making her grunt in both pain and awe at the fact she felt the boy's heart sink into darkness. She felt it shift into the deepest of voids for every shadow to follow. His heart, body and soul, the things darkness desired the most and that also desired darkness, had refused her.

Naruto jumped off her lap, holding up his right hand in which his incomplete sword appeared, summoned by his will, "I got a promise to keep, not to someone else, but to myself…" he glared heatedly at the woman, "I will find Sora, Riku and Kairi and bring them back home! If you dare to harm them, I will fight you! And if I die then I'll crawl out of my grave until I beat you!"

Every hint of a smile she could have was gone, as the rabbit woman turned to stare coldly at Naruto, "Then, for your sake My Liege, we shall make you into the darkness' champion by extinguishing that light." With a snap of her fingers, all imps stared at him, "In this and all worlds it's kill or be killed."

"Then I won't be killed! And I'll protect everyone I can reach to!" Naruto shouted back.

Suddenly he was filled with determination.

Kaguya scoffed, "You could have it all, and you hold on to three miserable children. Foolish, almost adorably so." She started to float high in the air, looking down on Naruto and the army of shadows surrounding him, "You desire power, one way or another you will achieve it, but there is only one way to do so. You've been claimed by darkness!"

Naruto wanted to yell at her to make some sense, but found ducking under three imps swiping at him to be more important. He spun around after dodging their attack, moving in a circle to cut all three as once. Once again, his sword absorbed their remains like it was hungry for them. Sadly, everything around him was a sea of imps with their yellow eyes staring at him. If they weren't so dangerous, they'd be cute.

" _Run to your right!_ "

Naruto blinked, but not even a second later did a path clear to his right, where a horde of the critters had disappeared into smoke. Without time to waste and seeing how powerful Kaguya was before, he dashed off. Of course, the Heartless gave chase. He gripped his sword tighter and was about to turn and cut them all in half, but stopped. The reason? Lightning literally rained from the sky, frying them and ending them.

Kaguya clenched her jaw, and one could see her veins popping around her eyes, "That simple-minded girl…" she watched Naruto run off, feeling tempted to catch him, but… "No. He will come back to the darkness. He is marked by it. He will return as a proper… king…" saying that last word caused her to lick her lips in anticipation.

As he finally found himself on a large path that basically went nowhere in the nothingness of darkness, Naruto caught his breath with his hands resting on his bent knees.

"What was that?" he asked and tried to find whoever saved him, without any luck. "Hello? If you saved me, then at least let me thank you!" he shouted into the air, both hands cupped to his mouth. After getting no response he sighed, "What am I doing? I shouldn't waste time… I have to find the others. I owe them that much."

" _Don't you desire to get back home?_ "

"Gah!" he jumped, his hood falling on top of his head at the sudden movement, "Where are you, lady?"

" _I thought you'd want to head back to your village. And yet here you are, worrying about three friends you barely met_." The voice said.

He nodded, "Of course I want to get back home, but… Those three tried to help me. I can't turn my back on them, can I?"

" _Even if they could know what you are…?_ " her question was hesitant, but she needed to make it.

He didn't hesitate, "They put their trust in me without a single doubt, so I'll trust on them."

A giggle, a rather cute one that made him shiver a bit, " _You're really full of surprises…_ " she then turned serious, " _But you have much to do. I cannot escape this realm, but with the power you've achieved through killing Heartless you must be able to go to other worlds on your own._ "

"Heartless? You mean those imps?" he shook his head, "Uh, lady, can you help me make some sense? Or are you just going to give me mysterious hints?"

She giggled again, her voice an enjoyable melody to his tired soul, " _Will you trust me? I don't have a reason for you to do so. However, we are running out of time._ "

He closed his eyes, "Fine… How do I do this?"

He could picture her smiling, " _Let your heart guide you. You're strong enough to do this, never doubt that._ "

He nodded slowly and held out his left hand. From the darkness a large egg shaped portal appeared, its form similar to that of an egg's, and its entirety made out of smoke and shadows. Naruto took time to examine his hand in awe, until the sound of footsteps reached him from behind.

Turning around, he found the owner of the voice, or at least her silhouette, a tall teenage girl, more like a young woman, with short hair and holding a sword like Sora's. She turned, and while he could only see her pretty pearly smile, he knew there was nothing but good intentions in her heart.

"Who…? Are you?" He asked slowly, the woman's laughter coming out like tinkling pearls, but that laughter was tinged with a little sorrow as well.

"My name? Well… it's Aqua, don't laugh, I know it's a little weird." His grin was aimed at her, with his eyes shining blue and showing that he'd never drink of laughing at her. He couldn't see her face, but he knew their faces shone with matching smiles, until the darkness suddenly pulsed violently around them.

The woman grimaced as the darkness begun coiling around them both, almost angrily at that, tendrils started spiking up and waving threateningly, the blue haired woman backed away with a reluctant frown, "Naruto, you'll have to endure a lot of sorrow before you can see your loved ones, but trust me when I say this, at the end of everything, there is a light! There is always a light. Take the Dark Corridor and we'll see each other again, I promise you."

"W-Wait…! Aqua!" He reached out for her just as the darkness threatened to consume him, Aqua's hands shoving him through the Dark Corridor behind him.

The last he saw of her was her blue eyes glimmering with hope before she turned away to face the darkness.

 **MINE**

 **! ! !**

 **GET**

 **AWAY**

 **FROM**

 **WHAT'S**

 **MINE**

 **! ! !**

 **YOU**

 **BITCH**

 **OF**

 **THE**

 **LIGHT**

 **! ! !**

"Whoa!"

Groaning in a miserable pain, the whiskered hooded boy forced his eyes open to look up at a ceiling. His back was in pain after landing and crashing something to the ground. Upon impact he could only listen to voices as mumbles and didn't want to put much thought into it. He just wanted to find his friends and get them out of trouble.

"Naruto?!"

He recognized that voice, which made his eyes dart to the face of a blond pigtailed woman, "Granny?!" he got up and faced Tsunade Senju, legendary medic ninja.

"What happened to you?!" she yelled, more out of shock than anger, "You were gone for nearly two months after it was reported that you faced Sasuke! And now you pop out of a hole in the middle of the air, crash my desk, and… look like you haven't eaten as much junk as before…" she was amazed he lost a lot of baby fat, enough to nearly forget everything else.

He groaned and got back on his feet, "Sorry Granny, I need to help my friends."

She arched a brow, "Everyone's already out of the hospital." She explained to him.

The kid raised his left hand, "Sorry Granny, but I have to forget about Sasuke for now. Someone needs me more than him."

"What?!" she asked in shock, "Naruto, what happened to you? Everyone said you tried real hard to save that brat, and now you're leaving him behind?"

Naruto clenched his teeth, "Can you shut up and listen to me?!" he glared at her, silencing the blonde woman, "Sasuke tried to kill me. Somehow I ended up in a beach where I was taken care of. I spent a lot of time in a hospital after three guys took care of me, and now them, their islands… Something took them away, a woman called Kaguya Ootsutsuki."

The well-endowed blonde gasped, "That's impossible…"

"I have to save them!" he told her to continue, telling her he was not having it otherwise, "They… they at least cared for me and trusted me!" he grabbed and pulled off the necklace she gave him, the green gem had always been with him when he met Kairi. He smiled sadly as he tossed it to the woman, making her heart skip a beat, "Sorry, but I'm returning it for now. I don't think I can hold on to my promise to you for now… I promised myself I'd keep my new friends safe."

She could do nothing but watch as he walked into another Dark Corridor but muster a few words, "These friends of yours…" she started, stopping him briefly, "If they matter that much to you, you'll find them."

He turned his head to give her one of his goofy grins, "Damn straight! Who do you think I am?!"

And he disappeared into the darkness, leaving her to sit down and sigh at her destroyed desk and the necklace in her hand, "To do so much for people he already met… You've grown, Naruto." However, there was one matter that bothered her, "Kaguya Ootsutsuki… Could that name be a fake or…?"

"Lady Tsunade, is it true that Naruto arrived?!" asked a girl with pink bubblegum hair.

The woman sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, feeling an incoming migraine from what she'd have to try to explain to not only the girl but many others, "Yes, and things are… complicated. For starters, after everything that happened and him telling me that Sasuke tried to kill him-"

"W-What?!" the girl gasped, "How?!"

"I don't know, he just left." She replied tiredly, "That kid just seems to get into three messes at once. He literally just disappeared into smoke. He said… he has friends he wants to save."

The girl blinked incredulous, "But he promised me to bring back Sasuke, why would he-"

"I don't know." The woman cut her off, feeling the need to reach for one of the bottles in her desk until remembering that Naruto had landed on it, "What I told you is everything I got, well, that and…" she showed her the necklace, "He returned it to me. Whatever he's about to do is dangerous enough to make him put aside his dream."

There was silence.

"You should still trust on him." a newcomer said, a man with a mask, his headband covering one of his eyes, and gravity defying silver hair, "Naruto has never been one to give up regardless of the odds. It is that will of his that makes him both endearing and terrifying."

Tsunade nodded, "Then we can only wait… That brat will surely surprise us one way or another."

 **YOU**

 **WILL**

 **RETURN**

 **TO**

 **ME**

 **NARUTO**

"Ok, I got to figure out how this works." Naruto said to himself in the middle of the dark hall, staring at his hands. "Follow my heart… She made it sound so easy. How did I even get home? Well, part of me wanted to go back, but…" he wondered with his hand raised forward, "Ok, take me wherever my friends are at."

He found that he felt lighter than ever… upon closer inspection to his feet he found that the next portal he opened was right beneath his feet. Without much of a chance to properly curse, the boy fell down screaming his head off until he finally landed over his rear. With a mixture of a groan and a tired sigh, and his pained behind he got up.

"Oh dear, are you all right?" he blinked and found a cute blonde girl with long hair, bright blue eyes, a lovely blue dress, a black tiara, and a white apron. She was a few years younger than him so he didn't have much to say about her figure, but she was really, really cute. Cute enough to make him blush at how she held her hand to help him up.

"Sure, I got hit by worse. Um… where am I?" he looked around. He and the girl were in some path to what seemed to be a very large table filled with nothing but tea cups and tea pots.

"Where are my manners?" she asked with a small smile and a polite bow, "Pardon me, my name's Alice. As for where you are… I can't quite tell for I am also lost in this world. I know its name, Wonderland. I arrived to this odd world some time ago by falling down a hall after chasing a white rabbit, and that is the most sense I've made out of this place."

Naruto nodded slowly, before remembering what he was there for, "Hey, uh… Alice. Name's Naruto and, by any chance, have you seen a boy about my age with blue eyes and a very spiky hairdo." He moved his hands over his hood, "Like think of a pile of chocolate turned into an urchin with chocolate swords stabbed into it." she shook her pretty golden mane, "How about a real cute girl with short red hair, a purple skirt, blue eyes, and a round face?" another shake, "Then what of a boy a year older than me, bulkier, with a mop of white hair and green eyes?"

Shaking her head a third and final time, the girl replied, "I'm afraid I've yet to meet a soul with those traits you just described, and that's saying a lot considering what I've seen here." She hummed in thought, "Then again, there's the Cheshire Cat if answers is what you want. That one is a tad odd, a fellow that may be even odder than this world. He does know more than meets the eye, though. Although I would be careful when asking for a hint, he twists his words for some bizarre thrill."

Naruto put a hand to his chin, pretending he got it all when in reality he got one bit, "So if I find this cat I can find my friends?"

She shook her head, "At best you'll manage to get a hint, but that isn't your greatest obstacle. He only appears when he desires to share his riddles and puzzles. In a way he's more troubling than helpful."

He cringed at the idea, "Can't I just get a straight answer the old fashioned way?"

The blonde leaned her head to the side, "What would that be?" He slammed his fist to his palm as a response, "Oh my, that may not be the best option, Naruto. He is the only one to know what happens in this world. Strange as his amusement may be, the Cheshire Cat is the only one with proper answers for this world's questions."

Naruto cared so much for his friends he actually paused to think of a proper solution, "Well, I just got here while looking for them, so they must at least be in this world. What do you suggest, do I move around looking for them or wait right here?"

She briefly examined him, mentally nodding in an approving way at the end, "I am trying to find a way back home, but if you'd like to tag along I'd be delighted. I'm afraid this world is a bit too much for me alone, and I've seen some dangers I've barely avoided."

He groaned, "Would they happen to be black imps?" he said, with his sword ready and Alice now safe behind him.

The Shadows appeared, accompanied by a new Heartless. This one had a more humanoid body, seemed to have a blue and purple jester outfit, and a helmet. Its body moved like it was a ragdoll and its every step echoed like metal from an armor smacking together. They charged at the blond, acting like they had no proof of a mind of their own except their intent to harm. And Naruto charged right back, holding his sword right at his side and bringing it down on three Shadows, diagonally slicing them in two.

He didn't turn to see his sword absorb their remains as one of the Soldier Heartless twisted its body at an odd angle before, to his surprise, hurling itself like a spinning cannonball of sharp claws and heavy feet. After rolling to his side as quickly as possible to avoid the strike, Naruto leapt off the ground with both hands holding the blade above his head to split the Soldier in half.

"Let go!" he wiped his head to see Alice, her arm clutched by a Soldier. She kicked it in the stomach, getting it to wobble back. The Heartless didn't waste an instant to jump at her once again.

"Hey Mister!" said the voice of a child even younger than Alice, "Be nice to girls!"

Naruto and Alice watched in equal parts awe and incomprehension when a boy of short stature even for the ten or so years he had jumped up. He had black fluffy hair done in a small afro of sorts, lightly tanned skin most definitely for living at the beach, and was chunky. He wasn't as fat as someone the blond knew, and looked more agile than the person he was thinking on. The boy also had an odd outfit given the place they were in, a sort of pink reddish t-shirt with a yellow star on his chest, jeans, and sandals.

And the oddest things about him were that Naruto could see a gem on the boy's bellybutton, a rose quartz. And glowing on his right arm was a pink shield with a rose motif, which he used to stop the Heartless. The Soldier staggered back, dazed from the abrupt stop to its charge, making the small boy grin as he held his shield like a Frisbee and threw it at the armored creature. The Soldier fell down, disappearing into thin air like smoke while the three kids watched a heart fly off. A pink glowing crystal, in the shape of a heart had just floated into the air after the Heartless was dealt with by the boy.

"That was amazing!" the boy cheered, lifting his fists up, "First that thing was all like, _I'm gonna get you little lady_ , and then you were all like, _not on my watch foul monsters_! And then-"

"Wait, who are you?!" Naruto finally tried to make some sense.

The boy smiled brightly in a way that reminded him too much of Sora while his shield disappeared, "I'm Steven, Steven Universe." He raised a hand, as if asking for something but he had his palm aimed at Naruto. The blond stared blankly at the kid he now identified as Steven who, after a pause, placed his hand on the whiskered boy's chest, patting it lightly like a high-five.

"Well, allow me to properly thank you, Steven. I am Alice and this is Naruto, and it's a pleasure to meet you." the blonde said with another polite bow before placing a kiss to the kid's cheeks, making him flush.

"Aw shucks, you didn't have to." He said with a small, playful wave.

Naruto blushed hotter than magma when Alice put her lips on his cheek, "And of course one for you, my dear knight."

He wanted to say something, but Steven beat him to it, "Whoa… you're a knight?! But then, where's your armor? Or are you like Pearl and Connie and don't need one?"

The way Steven asked so many questions so quickly made Naruto see a bit of himself in the boy, in an endearing way he had to admit, "Oh… I'm no knight. I'm…" he had just lost his headband and gave Tsunade back her necklace. What could he say? "I'm just looking for my friends."

Steven's eyes turned into stars, "So am I! We should team up! That way we can find our friends and have double the fun!" he then smacked his forehead, "Oh that's right, I nearly forgot! Have any of you seen a girl named Connie? She has dark skin, is a bit taller than me, has long and very pretty dark hair as well as very nice eyes, and carries a huge pink sword which she can use to kick bad guy butt." He emphasized that by making a mock kick before doing a karate chop.

The two older kids turned to each other. Alice shook her head, and Naruto sighed and shrugged at the boy, "Sorry… I've only just arrived."

Steven nodded, but quickly perked up, "It's all right, Sir Knight Naruto! If we can do something for sure is to keep your lady safe and find our friends!"

Alice giggled, clearly amused by the kid's antics, "As much as I'd love to have a knight like him, I'm afraid I just met Naruto and now you only today, Steven."

The kid flushed, rubbing the back of his head, "Oops, sorry…"

Naruto merely waved them off, smiling brightly before he noticed the darkness start to grow, Shadows appearing one after another around them. He and Steven stood back to back, Alice in between them, the younger boy held his shield then threw it an arc, a fireball shooting from the relative safety of a mushroom and being blocked by it. Steven pointed quickly even as another fireball was fired at him, and got blocked.

"There! Can you see it?" Hidden underneath the mushroom, was a floating Heartless that resembled a very tiny mage with a red body and the Heartless emblem over it, a yellow wizard hat, and glowing yellow eyes. It floated ominously before it shook its tiny body, tiny three toed claws wiggling below its body before a fire ball shot after them again.

Steven's shield blocked the explosive attack again, Naruto rushing through the darkness even as he saw more of the little creatures appear and attack him with fireballs.

"Get! Out! Of! The! Way!" Roaring, he slashed his way through the leaping shadows, then leapt up and cut the smaller mages in half. Hearts shot out of their bodies, then fused with his blade, making him glow bright red briefly. To his awe, fire erupted over his left hand, and he felt the knowledge of how to summon the arcane art of fire itself flowed into his mind.

"Wow… you can do magic?" Steven asked.

Naruto stared at his left fiery hand and the blade with a worried look, "By using those hearts…" he gulped, "I feel sick…" the sound of a dry heave made the other kids turn away. But to him, sickness wasn't perhaps the right word for it. He felt like something in him had grown, something powerful and foul.

After a brief pause, Naruto got up to his full weight, took a deep breath, and stared at some more Shadows trying to reach the small group. Without thinking, the blond extended his left hand at them, and watched a fireball shoot out of his fingers straight into the Heartless. They were, once again, turned into their most basic form of darkness and taken into Naruto's sword.

"Are you ok?" Steven asked, but he kept his shield up and Alice behind him. Clever boy.

Naruto nodded, "I'm still me…" he clenched his hand, extinguishing the fire in it, "I'm just afraid of how this thing works. I don't want to hurt anyone with this thing." He said referring to his sword.

Steven stared at it and then at the blond, before grinning slightly, "Then you got to use them to protect others. It's simple, right?"

He was baffled, in just a matter of seconds Steven made a concept which main idea should have terrified into a problem with an easy solution… Naruto couldn't help but chuckle, "You're right… I promised myself to save someone with this. No matter what, I'll make sure they're safe."

Clapping her hands happily, Alice gave the two an utterly dazzling smile that made their faces color, her blue eyes showing utmost trust and belief when she said, "Your friends are truly lucky to have you both! You're such nice and kind boys, I used to think that some of you could be rather rude, but you're both wonderful people! Even if this is all a dream, I wish that I would never wake up. Because that'd mean I'd never get to see you two as friends again."

Naruto looked at Steven who merely grinned widely, turning around Naruto gently reached out and ruffled Alice's hair, his fingers messaging her scalp and making her gasp loudly, "This isn't a dream Alice, we're really here, and we're really your friends!"

She merely smiled back, hugging him suddenly as she declared, "You really are the first boys I've met that I really liked! Let's-"

Just as she was smiling, a loud crash was heard behind them, whirling around Naruto could only gape in shock as a pair of gigantic walking poker cards with heads, arms and just feet instead of any legs, grabbed Alice by her arms, a Spade and Heart card at that. The girl could only blink as they just appeared and another card, this one a spade, appeared and produced a scroll.

It even spoke, "By the authority given to me by our queen, the Queen of Hearts, you shall be judged by Her Majesty for your crimes committed against the crown. Take her away."

The girl gasped, her hand reached out for Naruto before she loudly cried, "Help! Naruto! Steven!"

"Stop, what did she even do?" Steven called at them as he and Naruto gave chase.

The card scoffed and aimed an axe at them, "Only the queen can ask questions."

Steven arched a brow, "Was that supposed to be a pun?"

The card, a spade, turned as red as his heart themed counterparts, "Insolent child! That was clever wordplay!"

"We're still not letting you take her." Naruto declared, readying his sword.

"Wait, there's got to be a better way to help Alice than fighting these guys, especially if they're just working for a queen." Steven was right, Naruto wasn't sure he could take on an army without his chakra, "Can we at least talk and clear this misunderstanding. I assure you Alice is too much of a nice lady to do anything against a queen or her crown, or any queen and crown."

The card pondered this, "Well, the queen does enjoy fair judgments. You can come in as witnesses. But should your proof be a laughing matter, do not expect mercy on her or you."

The two boys gulped but started to make way towards their friend… but found more company. A horde of shadows appeared before them, and with them gigantic fat Heartless rushed towards the two boys, wearing an odd blue vest, pants, boots, and with a similar curved like hat to the mages. This Large Body rammed into him and Steven, paving the way for Alice to be scooped up by a few prancing Soldiers once they quickly dealt with the card men.

After being smashed against its large gut, the two boys flew up and landed hard on the place where a mad tea party should be taking place, not a fight. With matching groans they got up, dusting crumbs from crackers off their outfits and thankful no hot tea spilled on them to scald their flesh. What was apparent was that a man in the most absurd of garb, with two buck teeth and a massive hat was dunking a tea-cup into another tea-cup, next to him sat a mad looking hare sipping tea with a small mouse lodged in a tea-pot, and all had been drinking tea even as the fight was ongoing.

All figures stared at each other, before the two mad looking figures smiled and cheered loudly, "HAPPY UN-BIRTHDAY!" Their cheer heralded a shower of green orbs and blue bubbles to rain upon the two, weirdly enough the odd shower rejuvenated both and allowed them to leap back up and rejoin the fray.

"Let go of me!" the blonde said, once again kicking the nearest Soldier. And once again, its body wobbled back before it lunged at her. Also, like before Steven was quick to react, but this time was quicker as his shield landed on the midair Heartless, taking it down.

"Alice! Get out of the way!" Trying to slice through the Large Body proved easier said than done as its thick fat rolls deflected his sword. He winced as in counter the Heartless rose one meaty arm and slammed it down over his head, he was surprised further when it bounced off an odd barrier, shield like panels glimmering around him. But Naruto noted it only covered its belly, nots its back. He whirled around to see Steven holding out his hands towards him, the pink gem over his bellybutton glowing brightly with his hopes and dreams!

"Bring it, buddy! I can do defense too!" the afro haired kid taunted. The Large Body fell for it and ran at him, his arms pulled back and his bloated belly aimed at the boy to try to smash him into a pancake. With a grin, Steven extended his arms to his sides, and his entire body was engulfed in light. Naruto quickly stepped behind him, and in a flash of light he and Steven were inside a pink glowing bubble. The Heartless' gut smashed into it, and he bounced right back, rolling backwards over its head and landing face down with a heavy thud that shook the ground.

Remembering the shield was only over its gut, the blond jumped a good two stories above the ground the instant Steven dispelled the bubble. He twirled his sword in his hands, holding the tip down, aimed straight to the Large Body's back. The enormous Heartless' limbs shook upon impact, and Naruto watched its remains and a heart get swallowed by his blade. Unlike the fire wizards, he didn't feel much of a change, but to see a heart eaten by his sword made him feel uneasy after what he dealt with the Heartless.

But Alice was in danger, and the two boys didn't have time to waste.

Just as the Heartless tried to reach for her, a card man jumped above them, using their heads as steps to reach the girl and pick her up. The poor blonde uselessly smashed her fists on his back until Naruto and Steven stopped the guard, with the first doing a drop kick to his face. The girl yelped when she was flying in the air, but landed softly on a now familiar glowing shield to see a smiling child beneath it. But just as she hopped off, three of the tiny red mage Heartless flew past Steven and grabbed her by her dress, getting an embarrassed yelp and blush, her hands holding her skirt still.

Red lances and black axes flew to stop the creatures, killing them in their midair path. A heart card man stood below Alice, holding up his arms to catch her, until a Large Body jumped and squashed the card down. It quickly tried to reach up to grab the girl, but a certain shield smashed its head, making it fall back. The two boys raced as fast as they could, with Steven getting an idea. The afro haired boy did his best to outrun his taller friend – not easy considering he was much smaller but it didn't stop him - and stood on the Large Body's belly, holding up his shield like a platform.

Naruto jumped on the shield, and with the small boy's boost he flew up right at Alice. Midair he was greeted by more little mages, which was responded to by him throwing his sword at them, impaling them. With his path clear and both hands free the boy caught Alice, managing to cradle her small body in his arms with a reassuring smile. She did blush and hurriedly buried her face on his cloak to hide her reddened cheeks from view. Upon landing Naruto would have tried to be cool and set her down, but he was received by more Heartless and Soldiers on his landing spot.

"Over here!" Steven shouted, enveloped in his bubble which he used to run at the ones after Alice. Naruto lined his feet and soon he landed on top of the rolling bubble, and with the two boys seeing their enemies lined up before them it wasn't long before a smirk crept on their faces, "Let's bowl ourselves a strike!" The two used their feet and made the bubble run, which made the card men cry before they and the Heartless were run over, with some of them flying off.

"Get us out, Steven." Alice said, feeling her heart beating faster than ever with the adrenaline rush. "These people are so rude, playing ball with little me."

Naruto tilted his head to the side, but Steven got the joke and laughed at it, "Heh, good one." He kept rolling the bubble with his friends on top of him, Naruto still holding Alice as his feet helped their escape method roll away from danger, "From now it's a one-way ticket to Freedom City. Population: us!"

And just as he said that, they ran into a large parade of card soldiers with recently sharped lances and axes, and a very large and unfriendly looking woman with them. The queen, most likely, seated behind a large table like a judge. She was nearly as chubby as a Large Body, had a round face that seemed permanently set into a sneer, black hair done in a bun, a black and red dress with a heart motif, a red heart scepter, and a tiny crown.

Last but not least, they found out they couldn't stop rolling, and were headed straight into the queen for a painful collision in which cards, royalty and three innocent kids went flying.

 **YOU**

 **HOLD**

 **MY**

 **POWER**

 **AND**

 **WILL**

 **DESIRE**

 **FOR**

 **MORE**

 **MY**

 **KING**

Naruto woke up feeling like life could be a little less cramped. His joints and muscles ached everywhere, and his body was twisted in a very small place which he had to share. On top of him was Alice, which was kind of nice since she was light and smelled of flowers, and on his other was Steven who snored lightly as he was pressed on his side. He finally noticed all three of them were in a birdcage with a red curtain, and that he was being glared at by the queen and her soldiers.

The spade soldier from before walked in, holding a scroll, "You are to stand trial for the crimes you've committed against the crown and be severely punished for it."

"Who's there?"

That voice… "Sora?!"

"Naruto?!" it was the brunet, with company.

"Hyuck! So these are them friends you told us about, eh Sora? I didn't expect cha to know such a pretty gal though! Nice to meet ya all!"

"Goofy! We don't have time to talk with these guys, we have to find the King!" What could only be described, shockingly, were a pair of anthropomorphic beings.

A duck wearing a blue beret fastened with zippers, a blue vest slash tunic fastened with even more zippers, gold bangles around each arm. He had a white feathered body, two blue eyes that shone with intense emotions and aggression, and wielded a rod topped with a small mage hat and what looked like a small cloak, like a little wizard rested on it. He was currently tapping said rod against his side, glaring at Sora who looked extremely happy to see him.

The taller and more friendly of the duo was a dog, with an odd hat fastened with goggles, huge clownish shoes, a green under shirt with a black vest worn over it, and yellow pants fastened with a black belt. In his hand was a large shield topped with that same symbol Naruto saw on Sora's sword, three circles forming a mouse head almost.

"Sorry guys, I need to talk to him." he told the duo before turning to his friend, "Naruto! You're here too!? I was worried sick about you, Kairi, and Riku! Just give me a moment or two, I swear I'll get you out of there!" Sora was smiling brightly as he walked forward, only for a set of axes and lances to crash down in front of his body. He looked nervously from card soldier to card soldier, before he saw the Queen of Hearts sternly glaring down at him.

"ORDER! ORDER IN MY COURT!" She shouted, making everyone's ears rings, even the one near her: a doofy king half Steven's size who was ogling Alice in a manner that alarmed her personally.

A white rabbit dashed past the trio, and stumbled over his own two feet in a mad scramble to apologize profusely to the enraged looking queen, "I'm late! Oh goodness gracious me, I'm terribly, utterly, horribly, completely, absolutely late! I APOLOGIZE MY QUEEN! I didn't-did not mean to be-be so terribly late!" the white furred rodent couldn't even speak right, so horribly flustered was the white rabbit in a waist-coat, pants, and glasses while he fearfully clutched a huge pocket watch in his trembling paws.

The Queen merely screamed at him to, "BE QUIET! We stand on trial for the accused! One Alice, One Naaaruuta, and one Steven!"

The blond felt his right eyebrow twitching madly, "…That's… That's Naruto, Naru, roo like Kangaroo, Na like Nah, and To, like Toe."

The queen barked angrily at the blond, "I KNEW THAT! NOW SILENCE OR IT'LL BE OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!"

"OUR HEADS!?" the trio asked, grabbing their necks in horror.

"THEIR HEADS?!" Sora asked in shock, before his eyes grew determined and he clutched his sword tightly.

Donald and Goofy quickly pulled him aside under the Queen's baleful gaze, and frantically shushed him, "Remember! We can't meddle in other world's affairs!" the duck quacked.

The brunet replied quickly, "To nuts with that! That's my friend and his friends in there! If I have to watch people I care about get hurt thanks to the affairs of other worlds, then I'll meddle with them all I want!"

"Please save us! I like my head! It's fluffy!" Steven cried, small tears in his eyes.

"What he said!" Naruto shouted back, "I also have more people to save now." He wouldn't leave Aqua trapped in the darkness after what she did for him, and if Steven was looking for this Connie he'd help him.

"Well…" the dog said, scratching its chin, "A friend of Sora's is a friend of mine."

The duck groaned, "Argh, fine… But we can't waste too much time."

"Actually…" Naruto said slowly, and spoke as low as possible for only Sora to hear him, "I have a way to get out, but I don't think it's safe for Steven or Alice. However, it can be useful."

Sora nodded, having a guess on what Naruto planned, "Your Majesty, what are they even charged for? We can vouch for them being nice guys."

The queen smirked, making Sora shiver at how nasty it looked, "These criminals are here under the charges of trying to steal my heart."

Alice was outraged, "Wait, you charged me for that! Naruto and Steven are innocent!"

The queen snapped, "SILENCE! IN THIS COURT IT'S MY WORD THAT COUNTS AS LAW!" She then glared at the brunet, "If you want to challenge the law, bring proof, boy."

Sora's gears started to turn in his head as he had a good idea on who was the real culprit, "If you want it, you got it."

The queen was taken back, but forced her composure, "Hiding your fear won't save your friends, brat. I also have decisive proof, and it's of their guilt."

"Surely fake." Naruto mumbled before turning to Steven and Alice, "Can you two do me a favor?"

 **NO**

 **LIGHT**

 **WILL**

 **TAKE**

 **YOU**

 **FROM**

 **ME**

A quick use of the Dark Corridor with Alice and Steven using their bodies to cover his exit, and Naruto was soon seeing Sora in front of a large garden maze. They could see white roses being painted red by nervous card men. They had a lot of catching up to do, and did so as simple as possible.

"And that's how I met these two." Sora said as he finished speaking what his weapon, the Keyblade, was and everything he knew regarding the Heartless, "So… this Kaguya is behind the Heartless?" Naruto informed him the best he could.

"I don't know. She seems to come from my world, and that scares me seeing how she claims to be a goddess from that place." He shook his head, "She can sure back it up."

"So your sword… do you think it's an incomplete Keyblade?" there were similarities like the chain on the pummel.

"If it is, it certainly works different than yours." Naruto could admit he envied that.

"Gwarsh, a Keyblade eatin' hearts and darkness? That sounds straight out of a horror story." Goofy added his two cents, "It is weird, though. You look like a nice fella to me, Naruto."

His smile was infectious but Donald wasn't as keen on trusting him, "Use your head, Goofy! Darkness is a problem no matter how it's used. We can't really let out guard down even if he's a friend of Sora's!"

"Hey!" the brunet said and was about to start arguing with the duck until Naruto stopped him.

"Don't… He's kind of right." The blond hung his head low, his hood covering his face, "However, I have nothing else to fight with and I was almost swallowed by it. So if things do go bad, don't hold back on me."

The brunet put a friendly hand on the blond's shoulder, his other hand knocking the hood away so both boys could look into each other's eyes, "I'm glad it's kept you safe, and I'm not fighting you. Remember. I'm your friend and I'm sticking with you whether you want me to or not."

Naruto chuckled, a quivering smile working its way on his face, "Yeah… You're right… I should stop being an idiot and stop expecting less from you."

"Glad we agree!" Sora cheered and then tilted his head to the side, "But you said you were looking for Riku and Kairi too, right?"

Naruto nodded, "I tried to find you three at once if possible."

Sora beamed, "Then they must be here!"

Grimacing, the blond decided to put it gently, his words making Sora's hair drop slightly, "I… haven't actually seen them here. If they're not here, then they have to be elsewhere. But we will find them, I promised you all. I'm your friend, and we'll do it together."

The brown haired boy smiled even more than before, the two slammed their fists together, then pulling them apart before clasping them together, firmly shaking before pulling away he responded, "That's a promise Naruto! We'll have a real story to tell everyone when we get back to the islands. Selphie, Wakka, Tidus, we'll get them all back!"

Watching the two, Goofy nudged Donald with his elbow, making the duck grumble in annoyance, "Hyuck! Like a kiddo that good will ever let the darkness take him! Donald old buddy, I think ya might just be a bit too hard on 'em!"

"BAH! We'll see, we'll see! I still don't like him and think this is a waste of our time!" Donald grumbled and muttered to himself, but his glare was softened ever so slightly when Naruto and Sora turned back to him and smiled brightly.

"So what's the plan Sora? How do we save Alice and Steven from that damn cage?" the blond asked.

"Well I-" he was as clueless as the blond, but a voice stopped him.

"The thing you need to know is not how, but what? I can tell you things that would make your head pop right off, but aha! I forgot, I am a Cheshire Cat, and that comes easy to me! We have here, we have here, two keys united in the void of twilight! Darkness chases after the Light, but not to harm it!" Behind the two a mad and dangerously cheery voice startled them. From the shadows came a wide grin that erupted into the head of a purple and pink striped cat, its yellow eyes glimmering insanely before it leapt up, and jauntily took off its ears and head to give them a bow like it had on a hat on.

"What the?!" Naruto fell back, his backside on the floor from the shock. The others looked like they had been about to fall. Perhaps they didn't because two of them were animals already, but the sight of a cat taking its head off like that did startle them.

"The Dawn comes after the Night, who seeks merely to accompany his old friend! You two seek your friends, I know that the path is dangerous, curvy yes, topsy and turvy too, upside down, sideways and noways, downside up, up-down and left to right and back again! But you'll do fine, I know, so I'll tell you a little trick to find your path! Seek the shadows and the mysterious room, mind the roses and the poppies! Don't play too long with the wasps in wigs or the sheep in coats! And don't you mind the Red or White Queens either! You're on track, you're on the hunt, go now, find it, earn it, win it, take it. Ta~!"

His voice came out rapidly, with a matching grin to his nonsensical words. As he got closer he spun around two matching spheres, one black and one white, juggling them with absurd speed until they almost resembled the two boys' heads, and he clapped once and only once. Making each sphere disappear, he landed down in front of the two on his hands, poking them both with his toes, he laughed and split in half.

"Can I freak out?" the uneasy Sora whispered.

Both halves bowed merrily before all of the Cheshire Cat disappeared, his mad grin softened a little as he stared at the two and left them with one last thing to say, "Take care of little Alice, she is a good friend and one who you can trust entirely Naruto."

His words prompted the blond to open up a Dark Corridor, his eyes staring at Sora with a serious look, "Can I trust you to save us? I want to protect Alice."

"Of course!" Sora never hesitated a second as he declared that determinably.

"Wait, where are you going?" Donald asked.

"To find what this world has for clues and make sure everyone's safe. I'm the only one that can move freely like this." He said with his back turned to his friend, "Don't be late. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Take care, and if you see Riku or Kairi…" Sora paused, thinking briefly before a smile crept to his face, "Tell them next time we will travel the worlds together with you, like we planned."

Naruto couldn't hide his joy, "You bet I will!"

 **YOU**

 **NEED**

 **ME**

 **FOR**

 **I**

 **AM**

 **ALL**

 **YOU**

 **CAN**

 **BE**

 **AND**

 **MORE**

 **. . .**

 **XXXXXX**

 **And that's my rap!**

 **As said before, the two Keyblade wielders will take different paths, but that doesn't mean their way forward isn't connected. Next chapter we shall see where this crossroad takes them.**

 **Also, the king ogling Alice… in the book he was kind of… yeah, I won't go into details. I'm just going by that.**

 **As for the scene with Naruto returning home. He's finally found good friends that care for him. He found people that genuinely reach out for him when he needs a hand without wanting anything in return. If that ever happened to canon Naruto I think the kid would have actually cried in joy… But I'm getting sappy.**

 **And as you can see, this will be how Naruto will become stronger, using the hearts trapped in the darkness. However, it means the darkness grows in him, and that will take some getting used to.**

 **Anyway, I hope you like Naruto's first party member. He's one of my favorite animated characters and is what I think of as the perfect balance to the dangers Naruto will face against the darkness trying to make him its king. I know there are scenes in which I have to show Naruto dealing with that stuff, but then I remind myself what kind of story I'm writing and have a good guy use some sense, logic and their very big hearts to punch the "edgy" out.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed it. It's been a while since I had this much fun just writing.**

 **I will keep trying my best.**

 **Swordslinger out!**


	3. Dismiss the past

I OWN NOTHING

Some people asked me about pairings. Well, I think it should be obvious what the main pairing is if you know me… Sora with Kairi, of course!

 **Warning** : And here comes Naruto's second party member. Now, I said Steven is the only third party character here, as in the only one that comes from a franchise that isn't a part of this story.

 **XXXXXX**

Dismiss the past

 **LET**

 **US**

 **BECOME**

 **ONE**

 **. . .**

Back in the Dark Corridor, the purple cloaked boy raced forward with his mind racing. On one hand he had to find clues to free his new friends, on the other he still had to find those that were missing. He didn't want to sit still in the darkness given that it was, well, darkness. But as he told Sora and the boy's new allies, he was the only one that could move that freely to get things done.

The bad thing was that he didn't know where to go to, "Come on, I need clues to get Alice and Steven out! Get me somewhere!" he shouted to the corridor mid-sprint.

He should've remembered that the darkness wanted him like a possessive girlfriend with mental issues worthy of a straitjacket and a trip to the darkest of pits. A portal opened and he jumped through it, his feet feeling nothing but air beneath them. With a quick scream of realization and fear for dear life, the blond plummeted to what he hoped would at the very least be a landing to survive.

Luckily for him, the darkness wanted him in her control, perhaps with a collar around his neck, and not dead. His back hit something soft and he bounced off, landing face-first on the ground. The darkness also wanted to teach him to not take her powers for granted, too. Groggily getting up while dusting his clothes, the blond found where he landed, a giant mushroom.

And just when he thought things couldn't be weirder, the mushroom shifted and turned. Naruto made a face somewhere between the expression of someone getting strangled and a look of confusion when the thing before him held its body, with its red bulbous hat of sorts that reminded him of a mushroom's top part shaking. It was a Heartless, no doubt about it with that emblem on its body. And yet it didn't look like it wanted to fight, it only looked to be cold.

It raised its head at him, making Naruto's heart sink at its pleading eyes, "What is it? Are you going to fight?" the Heartless shook its head, shivering. It made the blond boy's heart sink again, "Ugh… Fine." He summoned fire to his left hand, which he held close to the mushroom like creature.

Warmed up by the act of kindness and the comforting flame, it gave him a happy look with its eyes before disappearing with a jump of joy, leaving behind a large amount of cash. Now, while in Destiny Islands Naruto had been briefly introduced to the concept of money used there. So imagine his surprise when he found Munny, the currency that Destiny Island employed lying at his feet. He quickly pocketed it and looked around, wondering what had just happened.

"I see you've made it…"

Naruto turned around, a huge beaming smile on his face, "Riku!"

The albino was leaning on a large tree stump, big enough to be a small house. Naruto finally realized he was in a forest, which was currently ten times bigger than him. He would have gulped had the older boy not been there giving him one of those cheeky grins of his. Riku should have prepared himself better when Naruto ran at him and gave him a very tight hug. The green eyed teen gasped for breath in the bear hug.

"Dropt it out! Seriously, this is embarrassing, and my ribs are going to crack!" he said, trying to shove Naruto back by grabbing his head.

The boy let him go and grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, it's just that I am happy to see you, and I bet Sora will be as well!"

Riku perked up, "Sora's here?!"

The boy nodded, "Of course! And if you're here, then Kairi must be here as well!"

Riku tilted his head to the side, "Are you sure?" he asked slowly.

Naruto paused, "What do you mean I'm sure? I… Long story…" he groaned those two words, ruffling his hair with his hand under his hood, "Listen, I made sure to come here by following you, Sora and Kairi. She has to be here in this world if that's the case."

Riku put a hand on his chin, "Or maybe it's just me and Sora, and Kairi is somewhere else." It wasn't like he was questioning it, he said it as if he knew it was a fact.

Naruto stopped, "Well… now that you mention it, I did arrive somewhere different than this place… Maybe I didn't get here by following you three, but most of you."

Riku nodded, "Exactly, because I know Kairi is not here."

"Are you kidding me?!" he didn't have anything smarter to say at such a comment.

"You know when I'm kidding and when I'm serious. Right now this is no joking matter." Those were true words.

"Then we must get Sora." Naruto said, his will denying him to go down that easily after Steven and Sora put their trust on him, "We met some time ago, and we got into trouble but it's all right. There's this girl Alice, who is really cute, and a boy named Steven, who is a really nice kid. There's queen wants to cut their heads off. That woman wants to cut off my head too!"

"Alice…?" Riku mumbled, "Is she blonde, perhaps around your age or younger?"

Naruto nodded, but felt uneasy, "Why do you know that? Scratch that, why do you want to know that?" he was confused, but something seemed really off.

Riku narrowed his eyes on the blond, but not on a threatening way. He was being serious, and wanted his friend to know that, "With Alice's help we can get Kairi back."

Naruto hesitated after hearing such a thing, "How…? Would she be harmed?"

Riku shook his head, "I just need her to come with me. That way I can find a way to get Kairi back for good. Naruto, she's…"

"I see." Naruto didn't know he was holding his breath until he asked, once again, "Will Alice be in danger?"

"Why are you asking this?" the albino asked. "Don't you want to get back home?"

The blond grit his teeth, "Riku, do you know what I did before getting here? I got back home."

The green eyed boy's eyes widened, "What? Then why would you come here?"

Naruto grinned weakly, "Because after getting there I just wanted to get back to you three. I wanted to see you, Sora and Kairi once again… The moment I arrived back to my village I wished I had spent life with you guys." He laughed, "I do feel bad for leaving those I knew there behind, but I really want to help you three."

Riku's face turned cold, "Then how do you plan on helping me if you're not telling me where Alice is?"

Naruto sighed and, with great effort, acted as aloof as possible while summoning his sword, hefting it on his shoulder, "Remember how I got here? I had to fight someone I believed was a friend. When I think back on it, I can see his eyes filled with hatred yet aimed at no one. When I look at you now, I know you want to protect Sora and Kairi, but right now I also see him in your eyes."

Riku took a deep breath, his left hand used to rub his temples with his thumb and index finger, "I wanted to trust you, Naruto. Believe me, I really wanted to think of you as a friend after Sora and Kairi stood up for you. You even kept the raft safe. I just arrived at the island and saw you fight those Heartless for such a simple promise." His right hand was brought up beside his head, his left hand forward, "And I also saw you fall to them."

On his right hand a dark blade materialized. It was designed like a bat's wing, with a blue gem resembling an eye with a slit pupil where the blade and handle met. It was a very dangerous looking blade in Riku's hands. Naruto had only seen Sora's stance, a self-taught pose that showed deep passion and eagerness to stand his ground. Riku's made Naruto realize the difference between the boys went beyond just age. The albino was not only skilled and talented, but he looked truly disciplined.

"Don't do this, Riku." The blond said, stabbing his sword on the ground, his head lowered and his left shaking at his sides, yet his right hand clutched the handle tightly for a fight, "Please don't…"

Only the wind broke the silence that lingered after they each said their piece.

It felt like an eternity, but eventually someone had to give in, "Way to make a guy feel like trash, Naruto." Riku grumbled, his sword now gone, "Fine, I won't fight you. And… sorry, for acting like that."

He should have chosen his words even more carefully before Naruto pulled him in for another bear hug, "I knew I liked you for a reason!"

Riku gasped, "And you'll miss me if you hug me like this! Let me go!" the blond did so, with the albino dusting his clothes, "Anyway… What happened to you?"

"Long story…" and thus after a simple explanation, "And that's how I got here." Sitting down on a log, Riku had his chin propped up by one hand while opposite from the white haired lad, leaning against a tree, was Naruto who just finished telling him what he had seen.

"I see, so you found Sora. You said he had two new friends?"

"Donald and Goofy, but all he talked about was finding you and Kairi, and me until I met him." His words helped cool the flare up of anger that Riku felt at the thought that Sora was goofing off with new friends, the silver haired young man considered his blond friend's words with a nod.

"So you wish to rescue Alice? She's…" He trailed off, unsure if he should relay the information he was given by that odd woman known as Maleficent, the one who gave him his weapon.

The look of honest concern and worry Naruto had persuaded him to go with his heart's instinct, "She needs my help and I'm not leaving her, or Steven, alone, Riku."

Sighing he got up again, "She's a Princess of Heart, Naruto." His words gave the boy pause and made his whiskered cheeks turn into a confused frown, cutting off his question Riku begun pacing and further explained, "A Princess of Heart, is supposed to be a Maiden with a Pure Heart. No darkness whatsoever is inside it, they are 100% pure light and good, whoever finds them all it's said can illuminate the way to Kingdom Hearts." Riku paused at Naruto's look of surprise, cutting off the next question quickly to prevent him from wondering where he got this information, "Maleficent told me that much."

"This Maleficent lady sounds like a piece of work. But Kingdom Hearts?"

The instant that name left his lips Naruto felt the darkness within his sword pulse eagerly, a wave of disorientation nearly making him stumble forward.

 **BRING**

 **IT**

 **TO**

 **ME**

 **! ! !**

 **AS**

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **! ! !**

 **KINGDOM**

 **HEARTS**

 **. . .**

Riku thankfully caught him as he was almost on the ground, the silver haired boy looking truly concerned as he asked his friend frantically, "Naruto!? Are you alright!? Hey! Speak to me, man! Dammit!"

"Fine… I'm fine, sorry. I should get back to Alice and Steven. I don't want the queen to be too suspicious if I'm missing for too long." Riku only let go when Naruto proved he was capable of standing on his own, his eyes looking concerned even so.

Nodding when he saw Naruto raise his hand steadily and open a Corridor of Darkness, the young man told his friend with a nod, "You go save those two, I'll continue trying to find Kairi. You think you can take care of Sora for me? He needs all the help he can get."

The purple cloaked boy smiled, "Don't doubt me for a second! I'll see you soon."

"It's a promise." Both clasped hands before they parted, doing the same handshake he had done with Sora. Pulling away, Riku leapt off into the trees, while Naruto walked through the Corridor and find his way back to the cage he was in.

"Naruto! Are you alright?!" "Naruto!" Alice and Steven thankfully were where he had left them, Alice seemed a little shaken up as Steven proudly told him while holding out his hand to help steady him, "I protected her from one of those mean shadow jerks when it tried to sneak in here! But I think they'll be back sooner or later… Thankfully you're here too!"

Alice on the other hand saw his sweating face and immediately crawled over to him in the cage, her hand touching his face and gently stroking it, a green glow overtook her hand along with a multitude of leaves that surprise all three of them. Two consecutive trips through the darkness and nearly collapsing had tired him out deeply.

Alice used a spell that came to his head almost instantly, " _Cure_ …" It surprised him as he hadn't known she could do magic.

Neither did Alice if her startled gasp of, "Oh my!" was any indication.

Steven merely had stars in his eyes, "So cool!"

The effect was appreciated regardless as he felt his exhaustion melt away, Alice blushing suddenly along with him when she saw how close they were. Pulling away quickly she none the less kept closely to him, smiling brightly at his grateful expression. Naruto stood up quickly behind them and scanned the court quickly. Sora and the others were still on their hunt for poor, and the guards stood still. The queen merely fanned herself with her scepter while the king tried to shower her with praises.

"Hey, how come she gets to rule this place?" Naruto asked one of the guards.

The card man stiffened but replied, "Because her word is law, and her judgment is what rules this world."

Alice spoke up, "Well, she's a pretty bad judge if she won't listen to reason and will cut heads off left and right if mad. That's not fair, that's being a tyrant."

Steven nodded, "She's basically a bully with a throne, a crown, and some bad fashion sense."

Naruto watched the corners of the card's mouth twitch, but he forced them to stiffen, "E-Enough, you can't insult Your Highness in any way or form, you will-"

"Why do you even follow her orders?" Naruto asked, bringing silence to the entire court, "Think of it this way, what if she wasn't a queen? Take away her title and she's just a mean woman who I bet can't even fight. I actually bet anyone could defeat her in a fight and get her crown."

The silence was broken by the queen, "How dare you… HOW DARE YOU?! OFF! OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

Naruto grinned, "What? Afraid you can't shut me up yourself?"

Steven winced, "Naruto, what're you doing?! Why are you so intent on fighting her?" he reached for the blond, but retrieved his hand when something hurt him upon touching him, "Ow, what was that?"

The blond kept on taunting, "I bet you can't even do a thing without using your title! So why don't I take it from you in a fair fight, one on one… or are you too scared?"

"Naruto!" Alice's voice snapped Naruto out of it, "Your eyes… for a second they looked different."

The blond held his head, "What was I-"

"It's a deal!" the queen shouted, before grinning, "However, if you want to get to me… You'll have to prove yourself worthy before my royal guards!" Naruto was quickly pulled out the cage and shoved face-first into the ground before the queen. The card men all stood ready and armed at his side, "Get that brat and shut him up, permanently!"

Growling, the boy summoned his sword, "What did I get myself in this time?"

He watched three lances and two heavy axes coming right at him, so in a display of intelligence the boy shut up and put up his sword for defense. Inside his head, something just clicked. All weapons stopped dead in their tracks when meeting a thick energy shield, the same on the three kids watched the Large Body Heartless use. Naruto's eyes widened, and he took a few step backs to examine his weapon.

"So every Heartless I kill, I learn from." He was awed, but not enough to ignore the card men rushing at him.

Steven talked to the queen, "Hey, isn't a queen supposed to be fair? You're making only one guy fight your army of card guys."

She seethed, "That brat will learn the full extent of my power."

Steven had an idea, turning with a grin to Alice, "Follow my lead." He whispered, and then cleared his throat, "What? The Queen of Hearts is so afraid to fight a boy herself she won't let him show his leadership skills? I mean, she could allow his friends to fight along him."

Alice nodded, putting on a high and mighty expression on her face, "That's so true, my dear friend. Why, if I were a queen I wouldn't be as scared as to let a single charming boy fight alone against an army. I'd let at least a strong-armed individual like yourself, Steven, to fight at his side."

The boy pretended to ponder, "But could it be that the queen really is what Naruto said she is? That'd explain why no one is backing him up."

Half a second later and Steven was pulled out of the cage and shoved right with Naruto, "Get them, you fools!" the queen barked and the two boys readied themselves.

"We should have done this from the beginning!" Naruto shouted, feeling bad that Sora, Donald and Goofy were still trying to find clues.

"Well we still have to save Alice!" Steven's words made Naruto nod, he concentrated his fire magic through the hilt of his Keyblade, flames whirling around it until it became made of pure fire. Rearing back his arm and throwing the spinning flame blade like a boomerang, the resulting fiery explosion blew the card soldiers away, Alice cheering from the cage happily.

Steven beamed, "So cool! My turn now Naruto!"

Steven clapped his hands together, creating a bubble that blocked the swings of desperate card soldiers, with a flip of his hand then a push forward, the energy shield shot out like a moving wall and blew the soldiers ass over tea kettle. Standing back to back, the two realized that the Queen had an infinite amount of card soldiers or so it seemed, her eyes narrowed sadistically at their impending doom until a loud voice made all parties stop.

"Your Majesty! We found your proof!" Sora came back with four boxes, one stacked high over even his spiky hair, Goofy holding two, and Donald carrying one. "What's going on?"

"Sorry for this!" Naruto said, hurrying over Sora, "Things got out of hand."

"You think?!" Donald quacked, readying his rod.

"What are you doing?!" the queen roared, her neck bulging with veins, "Those who defy the queen are guilty! Off with their heads!"

Sora stood forward, "We got proof that everyone is innocent!"

The brunet threw his box forward, Donald and Goofy following suit. From the boxes, four Shadows popped up, wobbling once out of their cages before seeing the queen in front of them, and sensing the darkness in her heart. As one they all jumped at her, making the woman cry uselessly in fear.

"Stop those bugs, you fools!" Unfortunately for her, her guards were still knocked out from their fight with the two boys.

Realizing her soldiers couldn't save her, the woman grabbed the tiny king and held him up like a shield. The tiny man screamed his head off and flailed his arms around. The Shadows swiped at the rulers of Wonderland, their claws cutting through the air. That was until everyone's conscience kicked in and, albeit reluctantly, acted. Sora's Keyblade flew forward like a deadly boomerang at one of the Shadows, Naruto and Donald fried the closest one to the queen with fire, and Goofy and Steven's shields smashed the last two to death.

Their darkness went to Naruto's sword, and the whiskered boy spoke up, "You see that? Those are Heartless, and they target people like you who just act on their whims to hurt others." He growled, "Just because you scream the loudest how you're in the right doesn't make you right! It just makes you look like a fool!"

The queen seethed, "My orders are absolute here! Guards, I want his head displayed for everyone to see! Take him down!" The quintet brought up their weapons for another battle… but the guards didn't move, "What're you waiting for, you fools?!" she screamed again.

A card soldier stared at Naruto and, to everyone's surprise, threw his weapon down, "I am not fighting him…"

Another soldier did the same, "Me neither."

Everyone, and mostly the queen, watched in surprise how the cards let their weapons hit the ground as one, the White Rabbit speaking, "I… I actually tire of being here! I wish I could do more with my life than… this." He threw down his trumpet and breathed deeply.

"Treason! ALL OF YOUR HEADS WILL ROLL FOR THIS!" the monarch declared louder than ever, to the point the king thought her veins would shoot out of her throat.

"And who'll do that? You?" Naruto asked with a finger aimed at her.

The queen went silent at that, her face going pale when all of her soldiers turned to her with glares.

Walking over to the cage and smashing it open, Naruto held out his hand which Alice daintily took with a bright smile. "After you." he told her with his warmest smile to date.

She curtsied to him before she held his hand with a lovely smile that made his heart beat hard than it ever had with Sakura, "Why thank you my Knight." Then she turned to the queen with a stern look that would fit a mother, "You should feel ashamed of yourself Queen! You're a petty tyrant and not worth the time it took to glare at you!"

She chided the queen with a frown before she walked off with Naruto, Donald and Goofy almost raised their fingers to complain that they meddled with the worlds affairs until Sora shushed them.

"It doesn't matter, that rule was full of bunk anyway! If we want to make things right, then we have the power to, simple as that." Sora said and looked pleased with how close Naruto and Alice were, the two blondes standing far too close not to have some manner of very deep attachment to each other.

Alice especially had a cute blush on her face as she leaned against the taller boy. Steven walked behind them, cheerfully whistling to himself as he thought of Connie and his friends. The group made their way to where the Gummi Ship was parked, or tried to when they entered the Mysterious Room, which would've been a simple enough but very small room if it weren't set for someone at least twenty feet tall.

Without warning the fires that Sora had worked so hard to light were snuffed out, and Naruto felt his blond hair strands stand on edge.

 **YOU**

 **WILL**

 **NOT**

 **CHOOSE**

 **HER**

 **OVER**

 **ME**

 **! ! !**

A huge spindly creature slammed down in front of them with a janky set of movements. It stood tall on mechanical legs with sharp and curved feet, its body was small and very stick-like, and its long arms could have been long pieces of black paper cut in a zigzag pattern if they didn't unfold and move with strength behind them. What stood out the most was the head, a totem pole of cylindrical heads. The giant, which would have been perhaps around Sora's size if the group were the size of the room, reached into its back to pull out a pair of batons.

It started to juggle them and march around like some circus clown. Such a sight would have been fun, had the circumstances been different.

"I think these guys are getting bigger and crazier to fight." Naruto told Sora.

The brunet sighed, "I wouldn't say that on the crazy part. I fought a possessed armor five times my size, and it was smaller than the one we fought."

"Any ideas?" Steven asked, "I'm used to see big monsters, but I don't think I've seen any this big."

"Attack the Trickmaster's heads!"

The two blue-eyed boys turned around, recognizing the voice even if it briefly made itself heard, "Riku?" they wondered, but the Heartless now identified as the Trickmaster twirled its batons in both hands upon being a gigantic step away from the group.

They all replied in different ways. Naruto was quick to grab Alice and jump high above the Heartless' swing, holding the girl closer than he ever held something. Sora swiftly rolled under the strike and threw his Keyblade at its head, making it twitch in pain and anger. Donald stood behind Goofy, who let his shield take the impact while standing his ground. Upon seeing what Sora did the duck and dog attacked, the first raising his rod for a fireball to nail the creature on the face and the latter throwing his shield, and having it bounce off the Heartless back into his hands.

Steven for his part summoned his bubble yet again, and yelped when it bounced like a baseball meeting a heavy bat swing. What shocked the boy more was when his bubble hit the wall behind him and bounced off right at the Heartless. The Trickmaster merely blinked off the sooth from the fireball it got only to get smacked by the pink glowing energy bubble. Everyone winced when seeing the dark giant's body absorb the impact and its pole-like head bending from the strike, until its legs collapsed, bringing its body down.

With a smirk while still midair, Naruto brought up his right leg with his foot above his head yet trying to not make Alice uncomfortable. With a thought, he summoned his sword, and let it fall down with the tip aimed at the Trickmaster. In a stroke of inspiration, Naruto brought down his heel on the pummel, sending his incomplete Keyblade flying down like it was fired out of a nailgun.

Before anyone could make a pun, the Heartless shuddered violently and got up, raising its arms and batons, which were now set on fire.

Steven finally landed on the ground, the bubble dispelling after his harsh experience as a pinball, "Garnet, can you take me to the circus? I wanna pet the lion…" the dizzy boy said before shaking his head to recover his grasp on reality, "Uh, are we winning?"

The Trickmaster brought its flaming batons to its mouths, and the group watched it spit out a fireball right at them. Goofy leapt up and blocked the attack with his shield, Donald cushioning him with his entire body and making the two grunt in pain, and in Donald's case rage, "OOF! GET OFFA ME GOOFY!"

Putting Alice down briefly, the blonde haired girl stayed far enough out of the range of the Heartless but close enough to Naruto that she felt safe. The two Keyblade warriors turned to one another and nodded as one, hefting their swords over their shoulders. Both Sora and the whiskered blond raced at the giant Heartless, but Steven noticed he was right in the middle of the road. The boy caught a glint in the two young sword wielder's eyes and grinned.

"Sorry, I need your help!" he told Goofy, helping up the dog.

"What do ya want me to do, little guy?" he asked.

"Get ready." Steven said, pulling out his shield while the two boys raced at him and Goofy. The dog got the hint and readied his too, lifting it over his head.

"Ready?!" the sword wielders cried, moving their swords down, dragging the tips on the ground until sparks flew.

"ALWAYS!" Goofy said with a cheerful grin while Steven had on a massive smile.

Donald walked behind the two shield users, "Let me help!" his rod burned.

The blond landed on Steven's shield, "As one… Burning Whirlpool…"

Sora was on top of Goofy's shield, "Sky Cutting!"

Donald shot a fireball at the air, "Cross Slash!"

The two boys flew off and swung their blades at the fireball, their Keyblades catching on fire. The Trickmaster tried to strike them, but its batons were stopped once again by a certain pair of shields, and its face was on the receiving end of another fireball from the wizard duck. The boys let out a battle cry and brought their swords on the Heartless, creating a cross in the air from the fire which cut through its faces. Knocking it forward with that single determined swing of their Keyblades, the attack whirled the massive Heartless around like a spinning top until its legs couldn't muster any strength.

Upon seeing it fall, the boys nodded to the other. Grabbing each other, Naruto threw his friend high into the air, the brown haired lad concentrated all of his physical strength into the Kingdom Key and sliced down with all of his might! The Trickmaster shuddered briefly, its eyes blinking out one by one until its body started to fade and then exploded into a massive heart.

Said heart ended up sliding into Naruto's Keyblade as if drawn in by magnetism, the blond groaned as he stumbled back into Alice who let out a soft, "Oh!"

She held him tightly, his blond head nestled against her small but warm and comfortable lap, and his eyes dimming slightly due to exhaustion.

All the party slowly came down from their battle high, and gathered around the tired young man who was now laid out on Alice's lap.

"Can we take five please…?" Naruto got out.

They all let themselves fall flat on their butts, sighing deeply, "That sounds nice." Steven said before pulling a pair of chocolate bars out of his pockets, "Do you guys want any?"

"Hyuck, don't mind if I do, good pal." Goofy said and was quick to take off the wrappings.

Naruto smiled, he could really get used to things like these.

 **UNFORGIVABLE**

 **! ! !**

 **HE**

 **IS**

 **MINE**

 **! ! !**

 **DO**

 **NOT**

 **TOUCH**

 **HIM**

 **YOU**

 **BITCH**

 **! ! !**

"Are you sure about this?"

Sora didn't want to ask, he had a lot of trust on his friend, but it worried him.

"Yeah, I mean that thing looks big but I may take too much space." The blond said, "Besides, I can get to this Traverse Town faster, and I don't want Steven or Alice to go through these Dark Corridors. If the darkness wants me so badly, I don't want them to be in danger if it tries anything there."

"Ok, that sounds fair. We'll see you over there." Sora shook his friend's hand, the two giving each other a thumb up at the end.

"Take care, Naruto." Alice waved with a smile.

"Oh, think you can ask if Connie's there?" Steven asked over her shoulder, "If this town is where lost people go to, there may be a chance she's already there."

Sora looked up briefly and then turned his attention to the small boy, "How did you even get here, Steven?"

The boy rubbed the back of his head, "It's kind of hard to explain if you don't see it, but picture these large stone pads. If you're a Gem or part Gem, like me," he pointed to the quartz on his bellybutton, "then you can warp yourself to other places in a tunnel of light. It's as cool as it sounds. Anyway, I was showing Connie this neat beach with smiling and tasty fishes, and then those Shadows came and took her away."

There was silence at that, but Naruto broke it, "So you chased after her."

He nodded, "Yeah, but I know Connie. She's been training real hard and is armed. She must be somewhere safe."

Alice placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, "I'm sorry for your misfortune."

Steven turned to smile brightly at her, "Don't worry, I'll find her because Connie's the strawberry and I'm the biscuit, and we're jam buds!"

There was a pause, "Sounds tasty." Naruto said absentmindedly.

The boy beamed, "We do make tasty jams."

"Are we going or what?!" Donald shouted. Everyone quickly waved goodbye and went off on their part of their journey.

Naruto breathed and held his hand forward, a Dark Corridor forming, "Ok, you better take me to Traverse Town, and let me land safely."

After a quick jog into the darkness, Naruto found a portal in which he jumped in head-first. To his surprise he managed to land on firm solid floor, skidding to a halt in the middle of a town's bright district. It looked lively but rather small. Buildings of all kinds adorned the place in various shapes, some even had different colors. It surely looked like a welcoming place.

If only things were that easy, "H-Heartless!" a woman shrieked, her hand aiming a finger at the blond.

"What?" the kid asked with a raised brow, "Lady, what're you talking about? I'm hum-"

On instinct, Naruto turned around, incomplete Keyblade in hand, and with a grunt managed to parry a large saber. The handle was very odd to him, it was curved, had an odd cylinder where the guard should be, and a chain at the end of the pummel with a lion keychain. The one holding such a bizarre gun was a brown haired young man of around twenty years of age in appearance, towered easily over the boy, and his long hair framed a stern face with a deep scar over his nose bridge. He was clad in black pants with many belts, a white t-shirt, and a stylish black jacket.

Before he could ask a thing, he was on the receiving end of a knee to his gut. The blond felt his stomach contents fly up his throat, but with a heavy gulp of air he managed to get them back down. He stepped away from the swordsman and returned the glare. The taller swordsman arched a brow, for the kid's attempt at a glare after losing his breath was like watching a puppy trying to be scary. And the way the man acted so cold and stern reminded Naruto of the only two members of the Uchiha family he met, and both had tried to kill him. Ok, more like one tried to kidnap him but that would still end in his death.

Naruto growled at the man, "What's the big idea?! If you want me to kick your butt, just ask for it!"

The lion themed man scoffed, "A sentient Heartless? I expected some actual intelligence, but it seems all are the same mindless drone."

That was way too much like Itachi, "How about you ask who am I before trying to cut me in half?! Also, your hair looks stupid!"

The man stared at him coolly without so much as a reactionary glare, "And I thought Yuffie was annoying…"

"SCREW YOU!" The extremely human reaction and rude single fingered gesture the blond gave the man immediate pause as did everyone else who was present, a large collection of people paused as Naruto flipped down his hood and glared angrily at the man.

He took all of a few seconds to take in Naruto's blond hair and face, before he sighed softly, "Kid, you have the worst dress sense possible. Traverse Town is a world in between the Light and Darkness, a place where people who have lost their world come and go after the Heartless take them. Dressing like you're one of them would scare any normal person. Get yourself changed and we'll get this cleared up."

Naruto slowly lowered his blade, "Well, I got no other clothing…" then without warning sucker punched the man in the face.

To his credit he barely flinched and merely replied calmly, "Sorry about the attack, people around here are really jumpy about the Heartless."

"Yeah, thanks, you ass…" Grumbling to himself, Naruto none the less kept his clothes with his hood down. "Now tell me, why did you think I was a Heartless?"

"Partially because I couldn't see your face, and mostly the eyes." The man said simply. "Not to mention you have their emblem on your gloves."

"I don't have any other clothes, remember?" He growled at the older swordsman.

The lion themed man closed his eyes, "Whatever…"

That attitude reminded Naruto too much of the Uchiha clan, but he remembered something else, "Wait, what's wrong with my eyes?" Were his eyes…?

But the man had already left.

Naruto shook his head, thinking he must have heard wrong. Still, it wouldn't hurt to get a mirror.

Once he was done and had dismissed his Keyblade, things seemed to quiet down as people went about milling around and doing their shopping. Walking around the town, he found it was astonishingly massive, but not as massive as the grin the one behind him had.

"Boy was it fun to see you face Leon!"

"Whoa!" turning around after letting out a yelp, Naruto found, "Tenten?"

"Who's that? And you, don't you know you're talking to the Great Ninja Yuffie?" said a girl who had some of Tenten's physique, mainly the tomboyish built, but once out of the darkness showed she was completely different from the bun-haired young weapon mistress.

Unlike Tenten, this girl had a green top and very short khaki shorts, showing her shapely legs and flat stomach. On her head was a metal headband keeping the black locks of her short mop of hair away from her mischievous eyes. Her face, though, was like the brunette's in being round, mousy and cute. She also possessed thigh-high white stockings, orange gauntlets, and… not much in the flesh department. Guess she shared that with the bun-haired kunoichi. And she was about as tall too, a few inches taller than him.

"Are you a kunoichi?" he asked slowly, trying to make sense.

She beamed, "The best one there is! By the way, you're a new arrival, right? If so, color me impressed to see you hold your own against Leon."

"You mean the guy that attacked me? If so, can you tell me where he is? I still want to kick his butt." He really wanted to have more than words after nearly getting his head cut off, again.

Yuffie smiled devilishly, "Maybe… If you can catch me!"

And she disappeared in a whirl of wind and leaves. Naruto looked up to see her perched on a roof, a grunt working its way out, "Are you kidding me?"

She waved playfully at him, "Fair's fair. Catch me and maybe I'll tell you something nice."

"Just tell me if you know of a girl named Connie." He said, taking her by surprise, "A friend of mine wants to find her, and she may be lost here."

Yuffie's smile fell a bit, "Wait, for real?"

He nodded, "I do want to beat up that Leon guy, but right now I'd rather find her. Tell me, do you know where she is?"

Yuffie scanned him, a hand on her chin, "I see. Looks to me like you're not lying, but I can't trust a pretty face." Those words got the desired effect of a blush on the kid's face, making her snicker, "Tell you what. Show me how much helping a friend means to you by chasing me. If you can catch me, I'll help you find her."

Faster than any reply, Naruto used actions instead of words by jumping to the building and climbing up barehanded. Yuffie felt her jaw loosed up when the boy simply clawed at the hard building's surface like a possessed squirrel trying to reach her. He eventually found a ledge which he stepped on to give a high jump, reaching her in a second.

With a smirk on her face, Yuffie disappeared once again, appearing on top of another roof, wagging a finger at the boy, "Nice try, but you got to do better."

He surprised her by jumping from roof to roof without any problem, dexterously dashing through tiles to get to the rather skimpily dressed kunoichi. She grinned, about to disappear again to have another laugh. Seeing her smile, Naruto decided to show her not to mess with him and kicked a tile, sending it right to the kunoichi. The girl gasped, leaning out of the makeshift projectile's way only to remember who threw it. She didn't have a second to catch her breath when the blond jumped at her, grabbed her by the stomach, and tackled her down.

He growled, tired of her games, "You going to tell me where that girl is or if you've seen her?" Yuffie pulled away after he let her go, sighing she decided to come out and tell the truth.

With a sigh, she admitted defeat, "Was this Connie a dark skinned girl with long hair and glasses? She stopped here for a day or two, what she said was that she had to find a friend no matter what."

Naruto's eyes flashed with a big smile, "Steven…!"

She smiled, that smile was infectious, "That was the guy she mentioned! You know him?"

Naruto nodded sharply, his expression becoming relieved as he sighed out, "I'm glad she's alright… Steven will be so glad to hear it. I'm traveling with him and another friend."

Yuffie held her hands behind her back and walked around the blond, looking curiously at him before chuckling brightly, "Yeah, you're a good kid! Alright! I think I know what to do, I'll introduce you to a friend of mine! She might be able to help you."

Grabbing his hand, she pulled him away and through alleyway after alleyway, corner to corner, eventually landing him at a small house that seemed lonely. Apart from all the others, it was none the less one that had the signs of being lived in with a small puff of smoke coming from the chimney.

"Hey! Terra? Terra! You home?" Opening the door, she brought Naruto into a small living space, a roaring fire burning in front of an arm chair.

A feminine gasp came from the chair, then a woman who took his breath away rose up to face him. The young woman in question, most likely still a teen, was an achingly beautiful green haired woman. She wore her hair in wild style that reminded him of Ino but far more fluttery, attractive and beautiful. Her eyes were a serene pair of blue ones, and her hair was, as said before, shockingly purest green. Clad in a red dress that hugged her curvy frame nicely, with a see-through pink cape, stockings and boots, and a short sword sheathed at her side, she painted a beautiful picture to his eyes.

"You are…?" She asked him slowly, rising towards him, and making his heart beat faster due to the familiar feelings he got from her. Like him, she was touched by darkness and had come stronger for it, but she felt… different as well, alien almost, with a feral nature to her.

"I'm looking for someone." He said simply to the taller girl, and was surprised when she floated towards him, "Her name's Connie, have you seen her?"

Terra tilted her head to the side, her eyes locked on his, "Um…" then she blinked, "Excuse me, did you say something?"

Yuffie snickered, "Don't worry, she's a bit shy. Just be nice to her and she can help you." then she cupped a hand between her mouth and his ear, "Plus, she's strong, even if she doesn't like to fight." She turned to the green head and waved, "Take care of him, Terra. He scared everyone's pants off when he arrived at the plaza."

"Hey!" he tried to have a word, but she was gone.

The two turned to each other, an awkward silence filled the air. Mainly because Terra had closed the gap, quickly grabbing his gloved hand and examining it before giving his eyes a quick check, "I can sense great darkness in you. And something else, something different and more powerful. Who… are you?" then gulped and forced her next words out, "What are you?"

He took his hand back, feeling his cheeks heating up, "Uh… as far as I know I'm still human. And name's Naruto, uh, Terra, right?"

She nodded and averted her gaze from his, "Terra Branford… is my name. Naruto, why do you need my help?"

He scratched the side of his cheek, his eyes taking in her hesitant expression, "I just want to help the friends I've made in this mess I got myself into."

Walking around him slowly, she took in his expressive eyes and face, reaching out with a hesitant look that he encouraged with a small nod and petting his cheek.

"Your heart, despite it being touched by darkness, possesses great kindness to it. I will help you. Because… you would help me if I required it." Her words filled him with determination as she reached out and grabbed a saber kept in a red sheath, attaching to her waist and then gathering a small collection of things into a bag, she nodded at him. "I'm ready to aid you… in whatever way I can."

He could almost hear a cheery little jingle along with seeing a small text box pop up and read, "Terra has joined your party!"

"Thanks, I mean it." he couldn't say any truer words, "You barely even met me and… wow, I just didn't think I'd find such a cute girl this willing to help me." He gave her a sheepish grin accompanied by a massive blush.

"Not a problem…" she whispered, looking away with a blush of her own.

Things got awkward again.

 **BORN**

 **OF**

 **DARKNESS**

 **AND**

 **HUMAN**

 **FLESH**

 **. . .**

 **ESPER**

 **. . .**

 **PERFECT**

 **. . .**

 **XXXXXX**

 **And that's my rap!**

 **We get to see Naruto's next party member from the Square Enix franchise. I know there may be some stuff for her in the incoming games but for now here's Terra, the one from FF6, that is.**

 **My idea for a party is to have characters with complementing strengths, flaws and personalities. I mean, having an army of meatheads without a proper individual to lead them will only get said army so far. Also, I love Terra. I'm sad she was put as a bit of a damsel in distress in Dissidia, so I'll try to balance things here.**

 **But, as the darkness said, Terra is an Esper, part human and part magical being from a human mother and magical monster father. Yes, things will go crazy as they explore the town.**

 **Swordslinger out!**


	4. Dive deeper

I OWN NOTHING

Well, real life and many things want to give me more than enough pain, but I shall manage to keep on having fun here. I'm a master at reality escapism, after all.

 **Warning** : Ever watched the Disney cartoon shows of their big hit movies? To flesh some bits with Naruto's path and mostly to give him a more original adventure there'll be some arcs featuring elements from those Saturday morning cartoons. Trust me, I'm tempted to add a few more than a few of the best, but I don't want to overdo it so I'll try to keep a cool head about it. Do not worry, I'll try to give proper exposition when possible.

Beta's Notes: I've also helped him decide a lot of the future story plots and writing here, not the least of which was adding one of my favorite characters from the cartoons. If we can, we'll also see about adding real fan favorites into this series.

 **XXXXXX**

Dive deeper

 **THE**

 **STRONGER**

 **YOU**

 **GROW**

 **THE**

 **MORE**

 **MY**

 **HOLD**

 **TIGHTENS**

"So what do you think this odd thing is?" Steven asked in the Gummi ship, holding the odd Gummi part that the crew got from Wonderland.

Goofy shrugged, "Beats me, but good ol' Cid may know. That's another reason to go to Traverse Town."

Donald grumbled, "First one being to drop you two there."

Alice narrowed her eyes ever so slightly at the duck, "You don't have to be that rude."

Sora chuckled meekly, "Forgive him, he's always in a bad mood." He then lifted his Keyblade, "We also have to ask Leon and the others about that keyhole where that Gummi piece fell from."

"And to find Naruto." Steven said with a smile and a fist up, "He must have found Connie by now, or at least some super important clue to where she is."

Sora laughed, "He might have stumbled upon Leon and…" Suddenly, the boy, Donald and Goofy were at the cockpit, shouting loudly, "Full speed ahead!"

"How could we have been so careless?" Goofy worried, pulling some levers.

Donald, who was already piloting, quacked loudly, "Just get this thing moving before those two get fighting!"

Of course the other two passengers were now worried.

They didn't have to, for Naruto was enjoying Terra's company in the districts of Traverse Town. There were three, each one numbered. District 1, the one where he landed, was always lit and filled with people. Districts 2 and 3 on the other hand could do better without the Heartless looming around. He did feel a bit odd at the fact she was floating, but he had seen her walk from time to time.

Maybe it was to break the silence, but she finally spoke, "Do you find it… weird that I can fly?" He berated himself for having stared at her for long.

He snapped his head to her, feeling the need to pull his hood over his head until remembering it could cause a panic, "No, actually… I think I'm jealous. It looks cool."

Blushing slightly at that, Terra gave him a brief yet radiant smile that made him flush deeply as well, "Thank you..."

"You don't need to do that." He said, still feeling a bit uneasy, "Are you sure we can find Connie around here?"

She nodded, "I did see her walk around after she arrived. She was looking for your friend Steven and ventured into some of the darker districts. She… She was amazing." She smiled a bit, "She's so young and yet so strong. I never thought a child like her could be that skilled with a sword, though I know of one that is very skilled in painting."

"You mean like portraits?"

"And with magic too." she said with more energy, "And like you… I'd like to see her."

He paused, taking it in, "You're also looking for your friends."

Terra nodded, "At first I thought about going to other worlds but I don't know how to do such a thing. I decided to wait here for them to arrive while helping protect the outskirts from any invasion, and…" she stared at him, looking ashamed, "Oh sorry, I'm talking your ear off, aren't I?"

"No, not at all!" how low could her self-esteem be? "I'm actually glad you're talking with me like this, it feels… nice."

He had to be honest, just talking with other people, getting to know them and having them listening to him was beyond nice. Not once before this adventure began had he ever interacted this much with someone on such a friendly conversation.

It wasn't until meeting Sora, Riku, and Kairi that he actually had fun talking with someone. He didn't feel tense that they could get mad at him if he screwed up, nor did they expect him to act one way or another. Alice and Steven were wonderful to talk to, even if he met them when Heartless were chasing them. Leon he could ignore. Yuffie was… Yuffie, she seemed fun to talk to. And now Terra was making him feel fuzzy with how nice she tried to be.

And her smile was genuine and warm, "Thank you, Naruto. You really are a nice person."

Scratching the side of his cheek in embarrassment, he none the less appreciated Terra's words. Without thinking, just suddenly feeling like utter doom was upon him, he stared up at the sky as the Gummi Ship flew overhead. Landing down outside the gate to the town which led out to a small field bordering more of the place, he walked out with Terra to see his friends get out of the ship.

"Oh, he's all right!" Sora breathed out in relief, feeling like he had just defused a bomb.

Walking over to the ramp, Naruto's hands reached out, Alice taking them and being gently helped out which made her smile ever so slightly.

Her eyes caught sight of Terra and she smiled, unaware of Terra already walking closer to Naruto she warmly asked, "Are you a new friend of Naruto's? My name is Alice! What's yours?"

Terra was also thankfully unaware of how close Alice was to Naruto, she shyly introduced herself to the blonde girl, "Te… Terra Branford is my name…"

The two girls seemed to hit off well, until they both turned to Naruto and called for him to accompany them, the instant they did so, they turned to the other with the air feeling colder. The blond stared blankly at the events before him, feeling odd and for some reason threatened. Sora knitted his brows together at the odd change in temperature. Steven was nonchalantly eating a bag of chips. Donald and Goofy for their part slowly backed away.

Whatever happened ended when Steven blew into his now empty bag of chips like it were a balloon, and then smashed it. The resulting pop caused the girls to turn to his smiling self, "So, what's up? Did you find anything about Connie? Oh, did you also meet a guy named Leon?"

Naruto's face twisted in a way similar to someone that sucked on a lemon, "That guy…" his growl said he did.

Sora sighed, "Well, at least he doesn't seem hurt."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"We kinda feared that, seeing what kind of guy you are, Leon wouldn't take a liking to you." Goofy replied, scratching his head in slight embarrassment at admitting that negative thought.

"Feeling's mutual." He really didn't like the way the older swordsman reminded him of the Uchiha clan, "I owe him a proper punch to the face."

"Don't, please!" Terra said quickly, "I've been here for a while and know that Mr. Leon may be a bit hard to get around, but he's not a bad person… Cold, yes. But he's not cruel."

Naruto sighed, "Sorry, it's just that seeing his face and hearing his voice just… ticks me off."

"Well, you're already here so we best leave." Donald said and started to walk off, only turning to Sora and Goofy, "Come on, we got to talk to Leon and the others."

"Would it kill you to be patient, Donald? I bet they have as many questions as we do." Sora said to his smallest friend.

His response was a loud "Bah! Just don't slow down!" and the duck continued to walk forward with the group following him.

Both Alice and Terra noticeably walked closer to Naruto, their hands clenching slightly at how they noticed the other was nearby the blond. To his credit, Naruto felt relief that the two girls were so calm and pleasant most of the time, if they had been like Sakura and Ino had been with Sasuke… that'd be painful if they started outright competing with each other.

They managed to make it to the center of town without major incident, the Heartless seemed to stay away due to the size of their group, and the few especially daring Heartless that tried to attack them were quickly and decisively struck down without much incident.

They finally made their way to a small house near the opening to District 3. A few people were milling around as the Heartless had been surprisingly quiet with them gone, but they quickly scarpered when they saw the group enter the run down home. To Naruto's surprise it was a lot less messed up inside, with a very homely arrangement of furniture. Relaxing against the wall was Leon, Yuffie was bouncing up and down on a chair, looking giddy when she noticed the two Keyblade wielders walking in.

Finally a new figure to Naruto, Steven, and Alice got up from a small table. He was a tall man, with sharp blond hair, harsh eyes, a straw he currently chewed on, goggles, a white shirt and blue jeans. "It seems you brought a bunch of stray puppies, kid." He told Sora with a gruff voice before he introduced himself to the newcomers. "The name's Cid. I'm a Gummi ship maker, and you kids are?"

Alice curtsied to him with a bright smile, making Leon stare at her, realizing what she was at an instant, "My name is Alice, Mr. Cid."

Her British tone, appearance, and the feel of her heart made Leon sharply ask the two Keyblade wielders, "You brought a Princess of Heart off her world…?"

Naruto stood forward, Sora, Goofy and Steven close behind to stop any fight, "I did, so what of it? Alice would have her head cut off if we left her behind." Naruto said confrontationally.

Leon sighed softly before not entirely without kindness remarking, "If you think you can protect her, then do what you wish. She is a target, especially for that witch Maleficent and the Heartless, I don't trust you much, but I'll take Sora's belief in you as proof that you can protect her."

In a split second, Naruto was being pulled back by the brunet, the kid and the dog, all three attempting to keep him from starting a fight. "Let me punch him once, just once!"

"Calm down, please! He's a friend!" Sora pleaded.

Naruto did calm down, albeit reluctantly, "Sorry, it's just the way he speaks and acts…"

Sora turned to the older swordsman, "Anyway, we have a lot of questions to make…"

"Have you seen a girl named Connie?" Steven asked, looking ashamed after he did and then turned to his friends, "Oops, sorry, I couldn't hold myself."

Sora shook his head, "It's ok, you're worried about her."

Leon stared at the kid and his face said it all, "I heard of her… She's no longer here."

"What?!" the small boy cried, his eyes wide.

Yuffie looked away, feeling a bit ashamed, "It's just like he said. After I introduced you two," she motioned to the blond and the green head, "I went looking around for her. The moment I found her she had just jumped into a dark portal following something or someone."

"Oh man, I got to find her quick then." Steven worried, but then turned to his friends, "I… I'll be patient and let you guys ask what you must… We'll find Connie, right?" he asked, holding on to his hope.

"I promised, didn't I?" Naruto said with his mastered goofy grin of confidence. Even if deep down he felt miserable, he could always make that smile to try to fool the world that he was ok.

It was that smile that worried Sora when he saw it. No one should have a smile like that being fake. But if it helped Naruto get through things, he'd help him too.

 **I**

 **AM**

 **THE**

 **ONLY**

 **ONE**

 **YOU**

 **NEED**

 **! ! !**

"Well, that was grim..." Steven said once the group exited the house, facing the two young swordsmen, "But we've seen you two kick butt!" he gave a punch to the air, grinning, "We can't lose when we're this cool! Am I right?!" he raised his hand, which Sora replied with a proper high-five.

"We have to get going, Sora!" Donald said, walking forward, "We need to find another keyhole to complete the Gummi. Then we can find the King."

"And Kairi." Sora said. He was glad that Riku was safe after Naruto told him the news, but he also worried about something, "We also need to make sure Riku's not in trouble."

Naruto wondered something, "I could look for them in other worlds. With the Dark Corridors I can move around freely wherever I want to. It may take time but there's a chance I can find them."

"It's worth a shot." Sora commented, then turned to his traveling companions.

Donald sighed, "Fine, but he best not meddle with the affairs of other worlds. Who knows what trouble he could get in? Especially with that key of his."

"You think I'm not worried about the fact this thing eats hearts?" the blond responded with an arched eyebrow. "Trust me, the last thing I want to do is be the reason a world's heart is eaten by darkness. So you three best look for those Keyholes to seal them all, and I'll make sure to stay away from them while looking for Riku, Kairi and this king Mickey."

"What do you mean you?" Steven asked, "If you're going to be looking for people, I want to help you find them."

Terra looked worriedly at the boy, "And Connie too."

Steven nodded, "Of course, but I also want to find everyone that's lost. After all, you can't have a Together Breakfast without everyone you want to share it with, just like how Sora and Naruto can't really say they had an adventure without finding their friends."

"Steven…" Naruto was at a loss.

"Together Breakfast?" Alice echoed.

The boy grinned, "It's a delicious tower of perfectly round waffles topped with maple syrup, popcorn, a perfect mountain of whipped cream, and the most perfectly ever placed strawberry on top."

A growl turned their attention towards Goofy, "Ah-hyuck, sorry, I could use a bite right about now of some of that perfect breakfast."

"Sounds a bit unhealthy…" Terra whispered.

Steven nodded, "I know, the first one I made tried to kill me."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Oh… What should be our next course of action, then?" Alice asked to break the awkward atmosphere.

Sora tapped his chin, "Well, there's a world we saw nearby that looks like it had people living there. We'll check it and any other world until we find the piece we need and then get Cid to install it for us."

"And I'm still going alone." Naruto said, rubbing his head, "Listen, as much as I'd like to have company, I travel by using darkness. Think about it, do you guys want to be in that much danger?"

Steven stepped forward, "It hasn't hurt you, and I'm here to help you and anyone I can, so count me in no matter what you say." He grinned, "Besides, Danger is my middle name… Well, that and Cutie-pie according to Garnet."

Alice stepped forward as well, her kind and reassuring smile giving Naruto some comfort, "We're going with you Naruto, and you will not be rid of us that easily. We'll travel with you even with the power of darkness."

Terra looked shyly at him then her eyes grew determined, "I trust you. Let's travel together."

"But-"

"No buts," Alice said, keeping her smile, "I may not be a fighter myself, so let me inform you that you'll be terribly, utterly and awfully wrong if you were to believe I'd step aside while a dear friend is in danger. You did see what happened in the cage when I healed you, I can help. Besides… I think everyone will agree that you could use some help, whether you like it or not." The others nodded before giving the blond signals of reassurance. Terra nodded determined, Steven gave him a huge grin with a thumb up, Sora patted his shoulder, Goofy chuckled with a friendly nod, and Donald's face took on a softer expression.

"The Heartless want you for something, and I don't want you to be caught in that, and even less on my watch." He said, trying to be logical, "I… I know you want to help, but what if you get hurt not because of the Heartless but because of… me?"

Her face softened, but her hand quickly found his whiskered face to hold on to one of his cheeks, "Then I'll learn to defend myself. I'll be with you, so don't worry. I would like you to teach me how to defend myself." She smiled brightly before turning to Steven and Terra.

The boy grinned, "Hey, no one's too young to be a cool knight. Sure, I can give you some tips."

Terra stared at the girl intently before speaking, "I'm interested by what you mentioned before… Perhaps I can help you in that regard."

Naruto stared at them and finally gave in, "You guys… Fine. I can't guarantee much, but you trust in me, so I'll trust in you." He finally nodded, and opened a Dark Corridor as all three of his party members gathered around him. The darkness seemed petulant but submitted to him for the most as the wisps of darkness coiled around all four after they passed through it.

The last they saw was Sora waving at them with a bright grin, his words making Naruto smile, "See you at the next world Naruto! Tell me if you see Kairi!"

"Of course I will!" He promised his friend before facing the dark portal, "Ok, don't even think about hurting them. Now, take us someplace where we can find our friends." He growled to the Dark Corridor before stepping in with his companions following closely. The world spun through everything, darkness coiling around him but never once touching his companions or friends, thanks to his presence although it seemed resentful that it couldn't.

 **BITCH**

 **OF**

 **THE**

 **LIGHT**

 **! ! !**

 **I**

 **WILL**

 **NEVER**

 **LET**

 **YOU**

 **TAKE**

 **HIM**

 **! ! !**

 **MINE**

 **. . .**

 **MY**

 **NARUTO**

 **. . .**

The odd quartet was spat out into a shady alley that suddenly seemed extremely hot to the group. Naruto's cloak was strangely helpful in keeping the heat off of his body, the shade keeping his face nice and cool. The same couldn't be said about Steven and Alice, who were sweating up a storm under the harsh sun. Terra looked at this and felt pity for her friends while they moved forward.

"What's with this sun?" Steven looked up, wringing his shirt off a good amount of sweat, "We've barely walked to the corner and I'm already a soup man."

Naruto wiped his forehead but looked fine nonetheless, "It's hotter than Sora's world, that's for sure." Then he put on his hood, surprised that it helped to cool him off.

The blonde girl nodded, fanning herself with her apron, "This weather is awfully harsh. Whoever lives here must have quite some strength to withstand this cruel heat."

Terra shifted her eyes around the two before nodding to herself, "I think I can help you…" With a wave of her hands, she did help the two.

Alice was surprised as was Steven when their outfits were engulfed by a comforting wind and then shifted towards a more helpful form for the sun. Alice now wore loose and graceful silk clothing colored a bright blue and white, with a bandana in place of her black headband. Said bandana was colored in the stripes of the Cheshire Cat's body, and kept her long hair in a lovely small bun.

"Wow…" Naruto gasped, and the girl noticed red on his whiskered cheeks. So she looked down and her rosy cheeks also gained a red tint.

Her clothing consisted of a ballooning pair of pants that hugged her girlish figure tightly, and – something that made her and Naruto blush bright red, and forced the boy to force his eyes away - a bra covered only by a thin silk shroud which immediately caused her to move her arms in embarrassment for cover. She wanted the earth to swallow her up due to how her outfit exposed her naval, showed off her barely developing cleavage, and exposed a great deal of her arms and back. She now had flat blue shoes for better movement.

Steven on the other hand had replaced his t-shirt with a unique vest that exposed his belly button and gem, the vest loose and open with a distinct pink shade. "Awesome! I get a cool hat!" He said enthusiastically for he now wore a turban with a star upon the top, and massive white ballooning pants as well as red curved-toe shows that allowed him to walk across the sand freely.

The sun outside was slowly lowering and despite that the heat was still beating down on the group. Terra and Naruto had their clothes still on, although Naruto's under clothes had shifted to a light grey colored tunic and pants similar to Steven's. The blond would admit he did like the change for it helped him feel better under the sun's intense rays, but he had another question in mind.

"Where are we?" They stepped outside of the alley to find themselves in a massive bazaar.

It was quite the sight with people hustling and bustling all across a huge market place filled with traders hocking their wares. Men and women yelled alike about their goods, children ran freely through the stalls, and a massive hustle and bustle was seen all across the place. A few guards, all carrying sabers, saw them but looked away when they did as they were not causing trouble. Although a particularly large and burly one glared at Naruto suspiciously when he could just swear the kid's eyes flashed into a different color for a second.

"I'm more surprised that this is considered clothing here." Alice said, pulling a nearby cloth striped purple and violent over her body like a cloak.

"What do you think you're doing? You better pay for that, missy!" a large merchant crowed, about to grab a dagger to threaten the girl.

"Hey, calm down! She's with me!" the blond said, dashing to be with the girl before picking up his old frog wallet, now filled with munny.

WAlice smiled in relief when Naruto paid the merchant, "What's this, a joke? This isn't even nearly enough to pay for that cloak! It's fine silk of the-"

The merchant went silent when the blond boy's fist hit a wall, creating a large crack on it, "You threatened my friend, so take the money and leave you stingy jerk." The merchant quietly did as told, sweating bullets.

Steven gulped, "Remember me to never make you mad."

"Uh… Never make him mad?" Terra said with a bashful smile.

Steven chuckled, "Thanks."

Alice took in a deep breath, "I should start learning from you soon before I get myself in trouble." She did sound sad, but Naruto knew that what she said was true. Of them, she was probably going to be the one most likely in danger. He really wanted to leave her behind with Cid and Yuffie – and by extension Leon but he'd never admit that – to look after her and keep the girl away from Heartless.

But he was a fool that easily gave in to girls. What other option did he have but consider how to properly kick his behind when it were all said and done? Well, that and to train her.

Naruto stared at his friends, "I'm more surprised the darkness didn't hurt you…" he decided to leave it as a mental note and moved forward. He quickly spoke when he saw Steven's eyes gain stars at the huge collection of exotic goods and items, "Ok, since you wanted to train… Steven, Terra, think you can find a place to help Alice with that? I'll look around for clues regarding everyone we're looking for."

He knew that Steven would go nuts if he tried to reign him in, so he merely passed the trio his munny pouch. He then melted seamlessly into the crowd while the boy cheered and dragged along Alice and Terra. Both girls were just as enthralled with the selection of items available, from perfumes and rich looking fruits, to jewelry and weapons of a priceless nature.

Naruto simply walked through the crowd, sliding around figures, going nowhere in particular although he did have an inkling to head towards where he figured the criminal elements would be. The darkness they emitted would be a beacon towards the Heartless and with them he would have the best idea of where to look. That or he could get some information about the missing ones' whereabouts.

And then, it hit him, "Ugh… I've spent too much time with that perverted sage if I'm thinking like this."

Either way, that was his plan until he spied an altercation happening near a stall. A female figure covered in a brown cloak was being grabbed by an enraged and heavily fat merchant who spat out curses at her.

Not only that, he had a saber in his hand, and the way he held the girl's wrist deeply worried the blond, "You dirty thief, how dare yo-"

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Naruto slid next to the woman, his keen eyes spying a child fearfully looking at the man who rose the short sword to strike at the woman. Said blade was intercepted by the cloaked boy's own sword, stopping it dead in its tracks and shocking the far larger man. The merchant turned to glare harshly at the youth who merely stared back without a hint of fear.

The merchant backed away, seeing that the boy could and would fight, so he started shouting at him, "What do you think?! This thief stole an apple to give to that brat!"

Naruto saw the child's ribs on display. He then looked at the woman, who looked as if she was going to do something drastic against the merchant, saber or not. Thinking quickly back to a now all too familiar situation, he pulled out some munny he kept in his pockets and handed it to the man with a stern look.

"Is this good enough, you greedy jerk? This should buy them enough to eat, right? So leave them alove." He tossed the man the money, who quickly caught it, keeping his glare on the lad.

The merchant counted out the munny he was given and grunted with a frown, before he nodded, "This is enough to pay off what they owe and then some, take what you want then get out of my sight." He already showed he didn't care for manners, so why should he show any to the gutsy brat stupid enough to pay for random street rats?

Turning around and handing the woman and child a few loafs and apples for good measure before they left the repulsive man, Naruto flipped down his hood to give them a warm smile, "Are you two alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

The woman looked at him with gentle blue eyes that made his heart beat. He could only stare at her, feeling that it was all too familiar, like when he met a certain blonde girl. And while this person, a young woman perhaps a few years older than him, looked nothing like Alice she did give a similar aura to him. He examined her a little to find anything odd, but tried to make it seem natural. She held her cloak's hood a little looser than him, letting him see her dark skinned features, a few strands of black hair, what he thought was a blue headband, and a somewhat pronounced nose.

She thanked him in a soft and beautiful voice that made him blush at how sincere she sounded, "Thank you for that kind deed, this child was starving and, well, I didn't know I had to…" She trailed off slowly, her blue eyes shooting from side to side. She shook her head swiftly and with some embarrassment continued, "Well it doesn't matter, you came in at just the right time regardless. My name is… Jasmine, just Jasmine. And yours?"

"Uh, Naruto, just Naruto, Jasmine. I'm glad to have helped you so no need to thank me, that guy was going to harm you for being hungry… That's just not right." His words came from experience, something his blue eyes conveyed to them perfectly which made the woman frown sharply.

"You starved…? Why doesn't anyone take care of you all? Surely the palace can provide for you, I should know that. We… I mean, I've seen traders stock the pantries so full they're almost bursting." Her words came off as somewhat naïve, something Naruto keenly took notice of but didn't mention.

Scratching the back of his head he told her with a small shrug after the child scampered off with their goods, the two cloaked figures walking together, "It's not like I starved, it's more like how people treated me. Look, people are just… idiots. They do what they want because they want something, and many times they don't care who they hurt." He knew that too well.

His words were blunt and they made the woman recoil as if struck, then her posture grew determined and strong as she declared to him, "That isn't right though! People shouldn't have to go hungry or starve just because of that! What right do they have to refuse others service in my… I mean, this city?"

Scratching the back of his head yet again, Naruto felt there was something he was missing here, but continued walking with the woman even as he thought about his response.

"Listen lady, you're nice and all but when it comes down to it, you have to fight." He closed his eyes, "No, that's not just it… I guess that if you want to change things, you have to do things right no matter what others say. Even if it hurts, I think you should stand for what you believe is right, not to try to prove someone that they are wrong. Even if at times you may have to fight for what you believe in."

She stared at him briefly, before a small smile crept on her face, "I see what you mean. I have seen a lot of men…" she tried to word her next sentence carefully after getting that out, "You see, my parents wants to marry me now that I am of age. All suitors that I've seen have been nothing but… boasting fools, if you pardon the words." A sigh escaped her, "They all believe they have the right to get my hand on marriage, like I am a trophy and they deserve me."

Naruto frowned, "Sounds like your father needs a reality check."

Shaking her head with a chuckle, Jasmine responded, "No, he's… He worries too much but he's not bad. He's rather… dim. I do know he wants the best for me, and he lets me choose who to marry, but he only cares about the status of whoever can be my future husband."

"And that's why you're here?" he finally asked.

She was about to reply when a loud cry of "Found her!" alerted the two.

Naruto merely saw red feathers follow the nasal voice seconds before Jasmine's hood was off. The instant it fell down, the guards turned their heads to her in horror, before one of them aimed a finger at the blond, "You, street rat! Get away from the Princess right this instant!"

"Princess?!" Naruto's lower jaw nearly hit the floor. And just like that, everyone in the bazaar kneeled and bowed before Jasmine, making the boy rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't daydreaming. A pinch would have given him the same results: everything was like it started, with guards circling around him and Jasmine.

However, he had more important matters to attend to, like the three swords trying to have his head leave its wonderful relationship with his shoulders in a permanent manner. With a yell and a somewhat strangled grunt, he managed to block and stop all three short but heavy blades from reaching his neck. He looked at the guards, only the man that looked like the direct captain had muscle. The rest were skinny with some flab on their stomachs, or plain fat.

Seeing the advantage they had in weight the blond decided to make it a disadvantage. He quickly stepped back, but in doing so kicked their shins. All three men fell flat on their faces and the blond managed to get back to the princess. He stared at her in a mixture of shock and plain disbelief at how things had turned out so ridiculously bad.

"Stop this right now! He's a friend! He even protected me!" Jasmine shouted, but her words fell on deaf ears.

"Lies!" that same nasal voice crowed, "That guy fooled the Princess outside the castle!"

"Come on, can't we take it easy?" Naruto asked, backing away until his back was pressed on a small outdoor pub's counter, a little stand with some drinks. He chuckled meekly, "Can't we settle this with a drink? My treat!" they inched closer, "Come on, I want no trouble!"

Naruto had to quickly jump up, his hands grabbing a hold of the top of the stand to avoid getting sliced and stabbed by the sabers. He held on tightly and brought up his legs, swinging them and also his body up to the safety of the cloth that acted as a ceiling for the small pub. The men all jumped after him, so thinking quickly the blond jumped off the cloth ceiling, cutting the supports and letting it fall on top of the guards. They all cursed and struggled beneath the improvised net while the blond ran off.

But not before, "I'd like some answers!" he shouted, gripping Jasmine's wrist before running off with her.

"Wait! We can talk this out!" she shouted, managing to keep up with him.

He chuckled mirthlessly, "I think you may want to change your mind after they clearly ignored you to try to kill me."

"Over here!" a voice said.

Naruto saw a ladder fall down, and when hearing the guards rip through the cloth he didn't think twice to start running up. He literally just ran up, after shocking Jasmine when the smaller teen managed to pull her up, carry her in his arms, and jump from step to step until they reached the roof. Naruto breathed in deeply and looked down at the guards, every single one of them trying to climb up.

The voice from before snorted, "Watch this." And with a single kick to the ladder, the guards yelled their heads off. Naruto and Jasmine winced upon seeing the impact, but they looked fine… Mostly.

"Thank you." Jasmine said to their savior while Naruto gently set her down. The princess quickly put her hood on to hide her blush after being carried by the blond.

Their savior was a jovial young man, skinny but athletic and quite taller than Naruto. He had shaggy grown hair, a purple vest, white ballooning pants with a rag stitched over a hole on one knee, and a small red fez. He walked barefoot, had a tan typical of the city, and messy black hair. His eyes sparkled with wit and cunning, but the smile he had was that of a friend.

"Don't mention it. Those guys always pick up fights with whatever street rat they find. Good thing even the average kid in Agrabah can outrun them." He started to jog forward, "Speaking of running, you two better keep up before they get here. Trust me, they may be slow in the feet and the head, but they're persistent."

Naruto turned to Jasmine, who looked expectantly at him. Without much of a choice he motioned forward, "After you, Princess."

She looked down, "I'm… sorry for lying to you, but-"

He raised a hand, "I couldn't care what you are…" then he smiled honestly, "You're a good, kind lady that cares for others. That's what I know you as and so far I'm not changing my mind."

The dusky skinned princess hid her head further into her cloak to hide the blush she felt at his words before they followed the young man.

As they followed him he talked warmly, a small monkey in similar garb to him landing on his shoulder and chittering away in a friendly manner, "The guards here are dutiful but exceptionally easy to fool, you know. If you know where to look you can out run them easily. Sadira and I often run from them after getting a mark ourselves, it's not hard really."

Jasmine asked him in confusion, "Sadira? Is she a…"

"Street rat like myself, yeah. She's also my girlfriend, I saved her from a creep named Razoul, and we've been together ever since. Abu here didn't like her much at first, but he got used to her when she helped snag a particularly nice banana for him." The man said in an earnest and friendly manner that made both of the two look bemused when he sounded longing at the thought of his girlfriend.

"Was someone talking about me?" Landing down from an awning, was an attractive enough woman with somewhat tanned skin and messy brown hair worn in a twin tuft style with faded gold bangles holding her bangs in place. She wore a simple green top that accentuated her chest, a blue cloth tie around her hips, and white-cream colored pants. Her eyes caught sight of the two figures next to her beau and she gave a knowing look to the young man.

He chuckled and held her close, both of them introducing themselves warmly, "The name's Aladdin, and this is of course my girlfriend and hopefully my wife Sadira."

"Jasmine, and this is Naruto." The princess in disguise warmly shook hands, albeit awkwardly due to doing such an informal thing for the first time, with Sadira who instantly hit it off with her.

Soon the two were talking quietly while the more street savvy woman gave the two men a stern look that warned them not to eavesdrop. Jasmine's reactions couldn't be seen but her stumble and seeming embarrassed waves gave Naruto an indication of what might be being discussed between the two.

The Princess rejoined his side with her cloak drawn around her body, standing quite closely to the blond, Sadira and Aladdin standing closely as well and chuckling to themselves.

"So you two going anywhere in particular? You can relax at our place for the night if you wish, we have room and we welcome the company." Sadira kindly offered, her eyes looking pleased at how Jasmine seemed taken aback by the offering. She seemed to want to join them, but at the same time was worried about her situation.

"Well I-" Naruto quickly covered for her, his words coming out in a friendly manner, "We'd love to, but we don't want to bring any trouble to your doorstep. And if those guards are as persistent as you said, we better get going before they try to skin my hide."

"Yeah, I wouldn't doubt Razoul trying to do that." Aladdin commented before noticing something, "Say, that's a nice cloak you got. Are you a noble by any change?"

He sounded genuinely curious, to the point Sadira smacked him on the back of the head, "Don't be rude, Aladdin. Whoever they are, didn't you help them get out of trouble?"

He chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, sorry. Still, I've never seen Razoul and the other guards that ticked off before. You two must have really gotten on his nerves."

"We'd like to remain out of his sight, if possible." The princess said.

Aladdin smirked, "I know just the way."

The two lead them through a dark alleyway, and out into the main bustle of the streets. The path they took allowed them to mingle with the crowd and avoid the bumbling guards, although Razoul was keenly watching them all and only managed to pick them out at the last possible second.

"STOP! Street rats, get away from the princess, you filth!" His words made Naruto curse and whirl around, until Jasmine who had had enough of this stepped forward and dropped her cloak. The rushing guards skidded to a halt as she angrily pointed at them, while the blond could only gape at her beautiful form.

Jasmine underneath her cloak wore blue silken pants that hugged her curvy and absurdly wide hips, and showed off her impressively curvy form which strained the fabric sensually. For a top she wore a blue silk bra that showed off her large breasts and cleavage. As a princess she possessed a very nice body already but seeing her got Naruto to feel heat under his collar. Her dark skin showed off her incredibly toned stomach as well as her entire back, as for earrings she wore blue jeweled ones that gave her appearance the royal figure it deserved.

"What are you doing, Razoul!? I told you, they are under my protection!" Jasmine stepped forward, her glare intimidating the large captain who tried to explain weakly, his words cut off by her jabbing her finger against him and driving him back with a furious glare, "They were not kidnapping me, they were not accosting me, they were not harming me, they were merely showing me around! Naruto here did a far better job of protecting me than I've ever seen you goons do, and if you so much as sneeze wrongly at him I will make sure you spend the reminder of your life in a cell beneath the palace! Is that clear, Captain!?"

He tried to stammer another answer, "Princess I-"

She glared coldly at him, "Is. That. Clear. Captain?"

He had to admit defeat, "Crystal your majesty…"

Turning around, she sighed when she saw Aladdin and Sadira's shocked expressions, Naruto's look on the other hand made her blush a bit as he was positively enraptured by her appearance.

"Naruto I... I need to go back home now. Daddy, I mean… the Sultan will be worried about me. Thank you for… everything. I… should go now." She says slowly, unsure of what to say or what to do now, her heart compelled her to ask him to come with her, but she ultimately listened to what her mind told her and stepped away reluctantly.

"I'll come with." His next words made her stop and look shocked, he merely extended his hand, his Keyblade appearing and glimmering in the fading sun, the majestic weapon making her eyes widen in awe, "There's something I needed to ask him and you too Princess Jasmine. There are monsters that have been appearing all over the worlds, and there's a lot I need to discuss with him and you personally."

Jasmine mouthed "worlds" to herself, her eyes shimmering slightly at the thought of there being entirely different worlds besides her own. Agrabah was a huge world comparatively, but even she had wondered what laid beyond the endless deserts and lands beyond her own. A story her mother had told her when she was very small, was that every star she saw in the night sky was a small world itself.

He quickly pulled Aladdin and Sadira aside while Jasmine waited for him to come, "Do you mind looking for three of my friends? There's two girls and a small boy a few years younger than me. You'll know them when you see them. Tell them where I went if they ask."

Aladdin gave him a firm hand shake, his words and earnest smile making the woman next to him roll her eyes affectionately, "Of course, any friend of yours is a friend of mine Naruto."

"Thanks Al, I owe you one."

"Don't mention it Naruto." The two broke apart before he rejoined Jasmine, the princess walking next to him. Her thoughts running wild at the thought that he was a world traveler and what that might mean. She had more than once wondered if there was more to the world than the large walls of the palace, but to think there could be much more...

Razoul glared at the blond, grabbing him by his purple cloak, "The instant you so much as dare to sneeze near the princess, your head will be my trophy."

"You'd have to catch me first." Naruto taunted with a smirk, and one could almost see sparks fly between their glares.

 **I**

 **SHALL**

 **HAVE**

 **YOU**

 **! ! !**

"It seems the brat is finally moving forward… To think that foolish little princess would lead him to us." A sly voice the likes a snake would have spoken sounded in a dark room.

"Hold your camels, Jafar. That kid's power is unlike that of the other punk." A fast voice from a fiery person replied.

"Indeed." Said a female voice, and soon the most outstanding presence in the room moved forward, her figure being intimidating due to her large horns, "Here we have another boy tainted by darkness. Unlike our little friend, this child was chosen by darkness itself to be its king. However, he needs that little push in his heart… A push our dear… friend has tried and failed to give."

A hook smacked the table in front of them, dragging back and thus leaving a large cut on it, "Blast that woman! Can't she do her job right just once! Is she truly one with darkness or is she just playing with us?!"

Another female voice let out a cackle, "You shouldn't fire your cannons so soon, handsome! Our little trio of wannabe Keyblade Masters have just hatched. Poor little ones like them can only swim so far on their own."

A loud and very amused male voice joined them, "Yes, like tasty little cockroaches! All we have to do is play a little game with them, have some fun, and then… kill them twice over!"

"Enough!" the first female voice said, efficiently silencing everyone, "The other boy is dealing with a foolish hunter blinded by his own darkness in search for that king, and it may not be long before he and the darkness' chosen king meet paths again. The more they're together with their friends, the more they hold to their lights. That is why we have a little help in Agrabah for just such an occasion."

The first man to speak scoffed, "That half-dead fool of Mozenrath?" then he grinned, "Actually, he may have his uses… Given his powers, apprehending the king's pawns may be easy."

The fiery man laughed, "Hah! Talk about a push and you'd rather shove! I like it! Direct and to the point!"

The sound of a staff smacking the ground ended the discussion, "So it is decided… Mozenrath shall deal with the future king. However, as for the other fools I do believe Kaguya has assured a group of powerful soldiers. Puppets of hers that are fairly efficient at their job."

The other woman smirked, "Oh, what lovelies does she have, my dear?"

"I believe they are known in her world as Akatsuki, and they specialize in hunting people like our dear future king."

 **THEY**

 **WILL**

 **NEVER**

 **HARM**

 **YOU**

 **! ! !**

"So there are two keys… Two keys that traverse the Darkness… And the Light." In a cold and colorless white room, twelve chairs stood high and tall.

Each seat held a cloaked figure, with the highest one of all having a deep masculine voice that carried throughout the entire room. Some were larger and more muscular, others more slender, one of the lowest seats had a female figure with her decently sized chest pushing against the tight fabric of the coat they all wore. Their hoods hid their identities, the blackness inside preventing any and all light from penetrating their depths.

"Two Keyblade wielders…That's an interesting thing I'll say! We haven't had more than one in ages, why the last time we did, things were really fun." The figure that sat just below the first spoke, chuckling to himself in amusement.

"How fascinating, two masters of the Keyblade, each a diametric opposite to the other, yet both follow the same path? I must say, as a scientist, this fascinates me." The fourth figure, just below another silent one said with an intrigued tone, his voice cut off by a sarcastic and cutting female voice far below him.

"Enough with the science geek shtick Vexen, you're always going on about, 'fascinating this' and 'fascinating that'! Why don't you try getting your hands dirty with grunt work some time, you nerd?" The female voice asked him sarcastically, making the fourth figure slam its fists down on their chair.

"Such insolence from our most recent addition! You're nothing more than a brat Larxene, a petulant sadistic brat with no brain or intellect for the finer things in life!"

A figure just above the female speaker chuckled to himself, speaking in a deep voice, "Well she is but a recent Nobody, she hasn't had the time to get to know our inner workings or really master her powers to a great degree, so of course she feels a need to prove herself. Still… The Keyblade, such a fascinating weapon…"

"I'd be curious myself Vexen, more so for this darkness user, his Keyblade devours hearts and Heartless alike, I have never once seen anything like it." A young boyish voice commented quietly, the figure who owned it sitting at the sixth highest chair.

"What a game that will be, to see him interact with our plans and goals. I wish to see what he will do when he meets us." From a spot just above the eleventh chair, a roguish voice chuckles to himself with an interested tone.

"Enough. We have been off topic for too long. Superior, why are we here and gathered all as one?" The third figure spoke in a raspy tone, his impatient voice making the first speak after a brief pause.

"We are here to discuss what we shall do with that boy. His Keyblade… I have never see anything like it, and that is a threat to our goals. With it, he could stop the creation of Kingdom Hearts itself or… usurp it for his own goals. The darkness clings to him like a watchful beast, any attempt to move against him will jeopardize our goals completely if we do not take careful precautions."

Clapping was heard as the eighth figure's distinct voice laughed in a somewhat nasally tone, "Well, if he's got even you worried, this kid is really something special, huh?"

The figure above him remarked sharply, "You speak too informally to our lord Axel, you should watch your tone before you risk your station."

Scratching the side of its head, the eighth figure remarked quietly, "You really know how to spoil a mood, huh Saïx?"

Speaking once more, the first figure had only silence follow his next decree, "We will watch and proceed only when we have gained more knowledge of his abilities. And if we can control his movements and actions… then I suggest you make use of all of your talents and abilities to make sure he… complies."

Grinning beneath her hood, the final figure disappeared once the entire room was dismissed and disappeared via Dark Corridors. Stepping out and humming cheerily to herself, she swung yellow colored kunai between her fingers, lightning zapping to and fro as her blonde hair was shown, slicked back with two bangs sticking up at the sides of her head like antennae. Her cold green eyes looked sadistically aroused.

"This kid really looks…interesting." She said, looking at a blurry picture of Naruto as he moved through the streets of Traverse Town. "Birds are chirping, the sun is bright… And I'll make sure he has a bad time."

 **NONE**

 **SHALL**

 **HARM**

 **YOU**

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **. . .**

 **XXXXXX**

 **And that's my rap!**

 **Thanks a lot to my brother from another mother and good friend The Lord Of Pages for his help in writing and giving ideas here. He also gave me some ideas I want to try, but like I said I won't try to make things get out of hand. I want to have fun, not make things feel like a clogged pipe.**

 **Next chapter, you can figure out Naruto's friends will have some trouble. Also, yes, Alice will learn from some of the oddest fighters ever… and she's basically wearing a belly-dancing outfit. Happy thoughts!**

 _ **Beta's Notes**_ : I helped my best friend and brother from another mother here with a lot of the dialogue and scene writing, not the least of which was the Organization XIII scene. We hope you enjoyed the chapter, next one we introduce one of the more interesting villains in Aladdin and build more of Jasmine's relationship with our favorite blond.

 **Swordslinger out!**


	5. Looming dangers

I OWN NOTHING

I may as well come out clean and say that, yes, I am crazy enough to wear my pants on my head. If you enjoy what my boxers-wearing brain does, that's always a bonus.

 **Warning** : here comes what will be a recurring antagonist in this story, the one that Disney itself calls Evil Incarnate.

 **XXXXXX**

Looming dangers

 **YOU**

 **SHALL**

 **LEARN**

 **TO**

 **LOVE**

 **MY**

 **EMBRACE**

"Good. Keep your stance wide, Alice. Now follow my feet."

Alice, now without her cloak and exposing herself in ways she only would do for whatever lucky guy happened to be her future husband, was amazed at the small boy's resourcefulness. Steven told her to get a piece of loose wood from a stand, use it like a sword, and press it on his shield. The two moved back and forth, Alice in a stance the boy learned from someone named Pearl. Whoever this Pearl was she had to be a dedicated blade user for it took Alice little time to adjust herself. They stepped back and forth, practicing how to keep the distance from an enemy and also how to avoid them.

"Yeah, just like that. And remember…" he cleared his throat, and started to sing, "Keep your stance wide. Keep your body lowered. As you're moving forward… Balance is the key! Right foot! Left foot! Now go even faster! And as you're moving faster… Keep your eyes on me…"

Alice found herself putting a bit more energy into her steps when hearing the boy sing, it was catchy. "And thrust!" she said, pushing forward. Steven blocked the attack and gave her a nod, which she replied by moving her sword, "Parry! Parry! Thrust!" she went, stopping his strikes in a rhythm and then striking every two parries.

"Yeah! Like my favorite onion sensei said in this awesome rap game, it's all in the mind!" Steven cheered, though his comment did confuse the two girls.

"Hehehe… Trying to get stronger on your own, kiddies?"

The two girls turned around, feeling uncomfortable at hearing the voice of an old man. Sure enough, a bald man with a long gray beard, a body of nothing but skin and bones, and a far too large grin with missing teeth greeted them. He waved with one hand, the other holding his cane which trembled like all of his limbs. It was like looking at a spider wobble. Soon the hand that waved went to his hunchback.

Glinting eyes scanned the trio, but it seemed only the girls were alert. Alice because after seeing Wonderland's king staring at her felt like she didn't like that stare, so she put on her cloak. Terra on the other hand felt something odd on the man, and dashed to her friends' side, gliding over the sand.

Steven for his part hooked a thumb to his pride self, "Of course. I'm not much of a sword fighter, but I've been learning for some time."

The old man stroked his beard, grinning wider, "Would you like to know how to achieve a proper teacher?" he coughed, showing signs of weakness, "Sorry to ask you kids such a favor, but I'm not what I used to be in my youth. You see, deep into the desert lives a friend of mine. Good ol' Mozenrath. That lad's one of a kind and I have something to deliver to him." he produced a scroll from his dirty cloak, "I'd hand it to him personally, but these old bones of mine would crumble with the weakest breeze."

"If you expect us to deliver that scroll…" Steven started, putting on a high and mighty expression on his face… before grinning, "You got yourself a deal. Besides, I know my cool quest stories. This is the part where you tell us where to get a cool weapon, a new party member, or a new technique."

The old man scratched his head, "Uh… not sure I get you, dear child. But Mozenrath has some skilled swordsmen. If you deliver that to him, I'm sure he would let them teach you a few tricks."

Terra felt uneasy, "Why would you ask this of us? Surely there are better than just the three of us to course through the desert to deliver this."

The old man coughed again, "S-Sorry, lass. You see, those things take money, and I don't have much. But I could see you are good kids. The purity of your hearts is too bright to miss."

Alice frowned, "What of your friend? He could have sent someone over for your delivery."

The elder chuckled, "He could, but I have no way to reach him besides walking on my feet."

The girls wanted to say something, but Steven's innocence was too strong, and soon the boy was moving forward to deliver the scroll. Naruto would find them with utmost ease, after all.

"Where do we go, sir?" he asked, bouncing in place from the eagerness to help.

The man chuckled, "On the Land of the Black Sand, my boy. It is a dark place because the sun is usually covered by clouds, but I assure you my friend shall receive you warmly."

Steven started dashing off, and the girls gave chase, missing the elder's grin and his voice changing into a deep, sinister one, "That shall keep them busy while their friend visits the palace…"

A nasally voice Naruto would recognize as the one that tried to frame him spoke from his hunchback, "Hey, let me out already, Jafar! It's like an oven in here! Come on, those twerps are gone already!"

The old man smacked his hunchback, silencing the one inside it, "Silence, Iago. We must return immediately to meet our new guest. After all, that friend he made while escaping with the princess seems promising." He chuckled to himself, "First, the heart of this world, and then… that wretched witch shall fall to her knees before me, along that so called king of darkness."

 **THEY**

 **SHALL**

 **REMAIN**

 **UNHARMED**

 **ONLY**

 **IF**

 **YOU**

 **ACCEPT**

 **ME**

 **. . .**

"Oh! Who, who might this be Jasmine my dear? He looks quite strong and capable." Playing with his models and toys, the childish but overall kind Sultan spun around when he heard Jasmine walking inside the palace and calling out to him.

He was a cheerful and rotund man filled with joy. He wasn't the tallest of monarchs, and Naruto himself thought Steven would grow taller than the man sure. He did have a large white beard, white robes, and a fancy white hat. And like said before, he was thick in both the mental and physical sense. Proportionately speaking, he was far chubbier than any Akimichi clan member he had ever seen.

Waddling up to her, he looked amazed at the blond next to his only daughter, the tall young lad carrying his Keyblade against his shoulder.

Naruto bowed to him respectfully and rose when he coughed loudly so the boy could rise again, "The name is Naruto Uzumaki your, uh, majesty. I'm a…" he doubted if he could claim what he was considering his weapon, but so far it was the truth, "I'm a Keyblade wielder, and I've come to ask you and your daughter a few questions."

"Well, what are they? I'm always open to talking with my dear subjects!" The Sultan said with a warm and rich tone that spoke of deep friendliness.

Naruto scratched the side of his face, Jasmine taking a spot behind her father with a concerned look at the blond, "I... Well, I wished to ask, have you seen monsters around lately? They'd be dark looking creatures, with glowing yellow eyes and a desire to devour hearts. They're called the Heartless, but I'm not sure if you've encountered them."

Clapping her hands suddenly, Jasmine cried out and stepped forward with wide eyes, "Now that you mention it Naruto, I have seen creatures like that skulking around the palace at night! The guards always chase them off and Razoul has doubled the night watch, but they still try to get inside."

Naruto looked even more concerned, his voice coming out softly, "I see… that doesn't bode well if they're already flocking here." He looked at Jasmine. Alice had been chased by those creatures before, relentlessly. And Jasmine was a princess, which he assumed Alice also was. He didn't like how the dots were connecting themselves.

Giving her a concerned look, the Sultan might've been childish but he wasn't a fool when it came to his daughter's heart, rubbing his beard carefully he said to the two of them, "Naruto, was it…? I wish to ask a favor of you, as a Keyblade Wielder, you are an adept fighter, are you not? I'd like you to personally watch over my daughter while you are here in my city."

The blond grinned, bumping a fist to his chest, "You don't even need to ask."

The small man clapped cheerfully, "Excellent! Oh, and perhaps I should introduce you." he said once taking notice of a lanky figure. "Naruto, this is Jafar."

The man in question was very thin and tall, had black robes with red trimming, a red sash, and a long cape. His face was set in some permanent frown and glare mixture, with a curly beard on his chin. On his head, covering whatever hair he had, was a black hat like the Sultan's, but much smaller, white and not as decorated. Last but not least, something that made Naruto hold back his urge to glare, was a snake staff. It was more like a gold cane, with a cobra head for the handle. Its maw was open to show sharp fangs, and something odd about its red crystal eyes unsettled Naruto.

"Charmed." He said with a monotone, showing distaste.

Quickly, his words echoed, "Charmed! Charmed!" said a red parrot with a large beak.

"Now Iago, mind your manners before our unexpected guest." Jafar said with some mirth to the bird, his hand stretched to Naruto.

"Name's Naruto, so, what are you supposed to be, old man?"

As always, the Uzumaki bluntness was something worth telling in legends. Jafar's face scowled like he had kissed a camel's rear, Naruto could swear Iago put a wing over its beak to cover laughter, Jasmine's own hand didn't manage to muffle her giggles, and the Sultan… The man was already laughing up a storm. But upon seeing the dark clothed man's scowl the ruler of Agrabah stepped forward.

"Calm down, Jafar, I'm sure he didn't mean any offense." The portly man said with a bright grin, "After all, you are much older than him."

One could hear the man's teeth crack from how hard he clenched his jaw, before he put on a forced smile, "I see your taste in guests has turned rather… interesting, Your Highness. May I suggest we talk about this boy's arrival in private? After all, according to my sources he seems to have some… questionable allies."

"What are you talking about?" that would worry anyone, but to Naruto the idea of his friends being in a bad light was unlike anything he felt before. After all, he finally felt like he had friends.

Jafar barely managed to avoid smiling, "Dear boy, I hear three odd individuals that were seen with you, a very joyous boy and two girls with fair skin and unusual hair, travelled to the Land of the Black Sand. Are they familiar to you by any chance?"

Jasmine covered her mouth with her hands, "The Land of the Black Sand? That place is said to be filled with true monsters and ghosts."

Naruto ground his teeth, "Will you tell me what's happened to them?" he was getting impatient, and Jafar knew it.

Once again, it was hard for the lanky man to resist a smile, "That land used to be under the rule of a powerful and dangerous man called Destane. Now however, his power and humanity have been taken by someone he once took under his wing like a son. That one's name is Mozenrath, a powerful wizard. Whatever business your friends could have with him, it seems they want to deliver something. A gift, perhaps?"

"If what you said is true, then they wouldn't be anywhere near such a creep." The blond stood defiant. How could he not after hearing what Jafar was implying?

"Boy, I've made this palace, nay, this entire city's safety remains secured with my wisdom. When I say something to the Sultan it is for the sake of every person living here, including the princess you seem so attached to." He grinned at the girl, which she returned with a glare, "Troublesome she may be, but I look after her and I do everything within my power to stir the Sultan to the paths that shall bring a better day for us all."

The Sultan nodded, but it looked absentminded, "Yes, Jafar does everything he can for us, Naruto. You should trust his judgment."

Naruto growled, "Then I'll prove you, right now, why I believe in those three no matter what the old man says."

He raised his hand, a Dark Corridor opening for him, "Naruto, wait!" Jasmine shouted.

And soon, the two were gone, leaving Jafar's jaw hanging, "No… No!" he howled, "That impudent girl! How dare she ruin my plans like this?!" he turned to the Sultan, who had been staring directly at his cane's eyes for a long time, "Your Majesty, I have business to attend to. You, however, should worry about why that brat dared to take your daughter with him."

For now it would settle things back on track.

Or so he hoped.

 **A**

 **LAND**

 **YOU**

 **COULD**

 **TAKE**

 **FOR**

 **YOURSELF**

 **. . .**

Our unaware trio had no idea what to expect from the Land of the Black Sand. Granted, it didn't take them long to get there. After all, a good bubble from Steven, strong legs, and plenty of determination managed to get them rolling there without much problem. The issue was that they didn't expect to find that the place was so dark it spelled doom all over.

Mist covered the dark sand, clouds eclipsed the sun in ways that were unnatural after they had passed from the sunny Agrabah to the odd city before them. And unlike Agrabah, the city was small, dark, and could best be considered a small town on an equally small mountain. Agrabah was a big city, its palace was truly gigantic, but this place was like a shadow of it all. Fitting once they started to pass by the streets and the stands surrounding them, all empty. No life to be seen or heard.

It was like a horror story foreshadowing scene, and it didn't help that moving corpses dressed like soldiers were circling around them in the middle of a street with their swords ready, "Uh… Think we made a wrong turn?" Steven asked innocently.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" asked a new person. Suffice to say, saying the figure was slender was kind of short. It had fair features with pale corpse-like skin and black hair. The newcomer also wore a gray and dark blue turban, dark blue robes, and large brown gauntlet glove.

Steven blinked and turned to the man, "Excuse me, miss, could you tell us how to find a guy named Mozenrath?"

The figure growled, "I am Mozenrath, you fool!"

Steven blinked again, "Wait, you're a guy?!"

The man pinched the bridge of his nose, "And this is why I don't like to deal with children…" then he grinned maliciously, "But who am I kidding? I love kids, especially when they cry for nightmares to stop."

"Wait, we got something for you!" Steven said quickly, hoping he wasn't in too much of a trouble when he threw the scroll at the pale man.

Dark eyes scanned the scroll, quickly turning Mozenrath's frown into a grin, which showed his merriment when he exploded in laughter, "You have no idea how much someone must hate you! Hahahah! Whoever handed this to you put a spell in this scroll to take you here and alert me of your presence. Did you not find it weird it took you so little to arrive here?"

Alice was mad, "That old man, taking advantage of Steven's kindness to do such a thing…"

"It's all my fault." Steven realized.

Alice shook her head, "No! Steven, you're a good kid at heart. Whoever planned this used your kindness for this. However, I'd rather you never forgot that good will of yours."

Terra stared at Mozenrath, "That magic of yours. It's corrosive. I can feel that deep within your heart you're intoxicated by it… Listen Mozenrath, I know of a man like you." she steeled her nerves and stared him right in the eye, "I won't let you harm anyone!"

The dark man roared in laughter, "How amusing! I shall enjoy this, truly I shall! Why, I could take your magic and make you jesters once I'm done taking the life out of you."

"Think twice, creep!" The pale man turned to look up, only to get his vision obscured by someone pulling his turban down, covering his eyes, "Sadira, now!"

Just as the undead soldiers were going to help the man, a dozen barrels came rolling down one of the streets, knocking the undead and the dark man down. The trio looked to their savior, none other than Aladdin who had a bright grin. He rushed at them, motioning for the unlikely trio to follow him quickly away from the tangled mess of barrels, twitching corpses and an enraged man.

"GET HIM YOU FOOLS!" The classic and ever standard catchphrase for an eloquent villain who had a score to settle. However, what the kid said troubled him. Should he get a book on training regimes…

Putting the thought out of mind and pulling his turban off his head, he clutched his fist. A faded grey orb appearing in it and floating around after he let it go. This certain spell was a Dark Hunter, the orb would hunt and search out any ambient source of darkness before chasing it away. It had proven especially useful in ferreting out those disturbing creatures called the Heartless…

It dissipated when it got near a corner that had eerie cat claw marks against it, making him tsk loudly.

"Mirage you fiendish feline… you're chasing after something in my realm?! Damnation!" He cursed to himself, anything that had caught the sadistic interest of the entity known Mirage was a threat to him, "What could that cat want? She usually kept out of my way and vice versa. An entity like that damned monstrous feline would rarely intervene unless something has utterly caught her attention. But what? She always destroys whatever she has found an interest in when it ceases to amuse her, though..."

Torn between feeling pity for whatever fresh piece of suffering awaited the fool who had managed to get her interest and between merely feeling relief that it wasn't he she wanted, the dark man faded away into the shadows of his realm.

A Dark Corridor cut its way into the realm, darkness blasting out of it and startling a green eyed feline that yowled in shock. It ran forward and clung fearfully to Naruto as he walked out, Jasmine following him and shaking her head.

"That was… disturbing. Is it like that every time you travel with the darkness?" Jasmine inquired while Naruto picked up the cat and pet it idly. The feline purred loudly and closed its green eyes, but if one looked closely, for a split second they slit open and seemed to focus intently on Naruto's face.

"Wait, what are you doing here?" he asked the princess, setting down the cat, only to have it climb on his shoulder. He decided to let the feline have its little victory while turning to the dusky skinned beauty, "Listen Jasmine, you should really be at the castle if this Mozenrath is as bad as Jafar says. And I don't like agreeing with that guy."

She looked away, "Neither do I, and that is why I am here with you." she looked at him directly in the eye, "You've seen how he acted when talking about your friends. I've never trusted that man once, and the only reason I ever looked forward to being a bride was the opportunity to kick him out. He says he does what is best for the kingdom, but you've seen how things really are."

Naruto thought on that, "He really doesn't seem like the guy that lives up to his word, but that still doesn't give you a reason to get here." He stared at her, "Do you at least know how to fight?"

She blinked, "You're letting me stay?"

He nodded, "I still have to find my friends, and I don't want you to travel alone back to your palace without me. Do you know how to fight?"

She took a moment to think her answer, "I don't have any particular training, but I managed to sneak out of the castle on my own. I can at least help you get around danger unnoticed."

He was about to boast, until he remembered something crucial, ' _Ugh… I lost my chakra. Without it, can I even hide properly? I could go the old-fashioned way but jutsus made it so easy even if I screwed up._ ' He really didn't have much of a choice, did he? "Good enough."

The instant a couple of undead soldiers rounded a corner, Jasmine swiftly slid to the side. Pulling Naruto next to her, the two remained in the shadows while the reanimated corpses got closer. Soon the blond could feel their footsteps vibrating on the soles of his feet. He also saw Jasmine grin brightly seconds before she grabbed a couple of nearby vases. Upon blinking, he saw the undead soldiers flailing around with the vases covering their vision.

"That should be enough, let's run!" Jasmine said, grabbing his wrist to drag him forward, but found resistance.

The cat snuggled closer to Naruto, its green eyes distracting Jasmine for a bit while the boy's turned yellow, "We have to deal with them." Naruto said, gripping his incomplete Keyblade tighter. He readied his left hand, his free palm summoning forth the element of fire. Having any possible cry muffled, the blond set the two corpses on fire, watching them turn into ash.

Jasmine's jaw fell limply, her eyes wide at what she had just seen, "What happened? W… Why would you do that?" she had seen him try to avoid a fight, only to see him mercilessly kill two individuals. She would give him a point that he ended the existence of two undead men. But the coldness of the act was nothing like the boy she met.

The cat purred, happily curling its body around the young swordsman's neck while he turned to the princess and gripped her wrist a little roughly but not enough to harm her, "Let's move."

 **THE**

 **ESSENCE**

 **OF**

 **DARK**

 **REALMS**

 **SHALL**

 **BRING**

 **US**

 **CLOSER**

Something wasn't adding up to Jasmine and it was beginning to worry her. Naruto had become almost feral, using his Keyblade to destroy any corpses in his way and seeming almost single minded in his ferocity against them. With magic and blade mastery, he never once stopped in his one-sided onslaught against the undead, enough so that Jasmine finally had enough and wrapped both arms around his back.

"STOP! PLEASE! They're dead, but this isn't you! It isn't who you are, Naruto! Stop it, please, stop!" His yellow eyes glowed monstrously until she touched him, her body glowing a bright white and making the cat hiss and yowl furiously.

Slowly they faded back to blue and he collapsed to his knees, his teeth gritting as he felt the darkness rage and bitterly touch him, trying in vain to drag him back into its embrace. The cat leapt off his shoulders and arched its back, hissing in a manner all too hatefully to the two of them before it calmed down and leaped onto his shoulders again. It licked its paws slowly, then quieted down, seemingly at peace now.

"I don't like that thing, Naruto. It's not like any other cat I've seen. It's almost… malicious." As the two begun their wandering once more, Jasmine confessed her worries and suspicions to the blond, his eyes looking back with concern of his own

"This cat? Surely she's not that bad…" he stopped suddenly, something approximating dread filling his heart at the sudden realization that he knew the cat's gender and that it was intimately a she, "…I… never mind, we've got company!"

This time the cat actually did show outright hostility as it arched its back, from the darkness arrived Heartless. These ones seemed to be wearing a combination vest, tunic, and Arabic shoes while deftly wielding scimitars. They focused entirely on him, but what made him swallow his spit slowly was what followed them.

It was a tall figure, clad in black robes, with red cloud patterns to them. Long dangerous hands that vaguely resembled rabbit's paws were attached to the figure, moving it like a puppet. Its head lolled forward, revealing the monstrous machine parts that made up its body with a distinct gap in its sternum, a heart shaped gap. It looked like a certain group he knew, but it definitely was a Heartless.

The cat furiously spat and yowled as the Heartless moved forward, the figure raising its arms almost as if beckoning to Naruto, he could tell who the sender of this "gift" was.

"Kaguya you bunny bitch…" He whispered darkly, the cat making more furious noises before she calmed down and leapt off his back. Landing on a bit of rubble, she waved her tail slowly, keeping a careful watch on how this fight would proceed while cleaning her paws.

The Bandits jumped at him, while the Puppeteer flicked its wrist. Naruto swung his blade furiously, clashing against the scimitars, and then summoned a fireball to burn the Puppeteer's attack. Small puppets in the shape and form of him, his friends, and even Kairi had flown at him. They were obviously puppets, crafted in a cartoonish style, but the fact didn't make it any easier when they turned to ashes. He didn't have time to ponder on it when the Bandits threw their scimitars at him like boomerangs, even returning back to their hands.

Naruto turned coldly to the Heartless and charged, his eyes set on the Puppeteer. The Bandits jumped in unison at him from all sides, swinging their blades at him only for Jasmine and the cat to gape at what they saw. In one second, Naruto had disappeared, and the next they saw him, lying on his back on the floor. His foot kicked up, straight into the sky to meet all of the Heartless near him to send them flying. He jumped right up, spinning around to cut the ones he missed in two now that their guard was lowered.

It all happened so fast Jasmine barely perceived what happened, while the cat swished her tail back and forth, clearly amused. Naruto's eyes focused on the Puppeteer, his left finger aimed at it while he reared back his sword, flipped it in his hand, and held it like one would a harpoon. The blade glowed, and flew straight at the last Heartless, absorbing its darkness while it returned to Naruto's hand. When the other Heartless faded out of existence, their hearts and bodies also merged with the blade.

The cat hissed again, her eyes set on the blond and the blade in his hand. Jasmine was more worried when Naruto's legs trembled and he nearly fell off, but he managed to stay up, a hand clutching his head, "Naruto, please tell me it's still you."

"I…" he mumbled, reaching for her which had the cat yowling louder, "This place is… making me… sick…" darkness swirled around the blade and the blond finally slumped on top of Jasmine.

She quickly held on to him, just when an odd group turned around a corner and started to run at her, with a little boy staying behind holding up a large shield. It proved to be a good idea since the odd glowing weapon managed to stop each and every blade thrown at the party.

"Aladdin, Sadira!" she cried, recognizing her two friends.

"Jasmine?!" the two street rats asked.

The trio following them joined in the confusion, "Naruto?!"

"Fools!" shouted Mozenrath, standing on top of a rooftop to properly look down on them.

"Shut up!" Naruto roared, firing a fireball straight at the man's feet.

Mozenrath growled, his gloved hand summoning a dark energy to it. The fireball was caught in a strange beam of energy, held by a magical magnetic force that stopped it from harming Mozenrath or send him falling down had it hit where his feet were. The pale magician glared at the boy and returned the fireball. His shot was interrupted by something he didn't think he'd see, ice.

"N-Naruto!" Terra spoke to him, keeping her eyes on Mozenrath while the two parties of invaders pulled themselves together.

The lord of the place arched a brow, "Now what do we have here? I knew I felt magic in nearly everyone, but this one boy…" he chuckled, "I see, so that's why she is taking a tour here. Well my dear Mirage, you should know that no matter how powerful you are… I always get what I want!"

His scream was followed by a magic blast, which Steven blocked with his bubble, "Stop it, mister! If this is all because I called you a lady, now I'm definitely not apologizing!"

Heart beats stopped at the sound of the bubble breaking by a certain black blade. Naruto moved forward, his sword pulsing with dark matter while his eyes looked at everything but focused on nothing. The cat on his shoulders playfully put his hood over his head, making sure it shadowed his face and showed his bright yellow eyes.

Everyone stared at the sword in awe while the darkness circling it merged with the blade. Once three foot long, the sword grew to four foot at length with the handle also growing for a two-handed grip. The double-edged blade also changed, widening and becoming heavier. It was a proper broadsword that one would have to hold one-handed, but Naruto had no trouble using only his right hand to grip it.

Mozenrath's smile grew, "Well, I could go on a monologue about how sublime that power is but I think I'd rather just take it." he raised his right hand at the boy, an energy blast flying at the yellow eyed kid.

Blowing up a kid should have been easy for him, but he couldn't. The shock of seeing Naruto grab Steven by his collar and throw him back to the others stopped the dark wizard. The boy was quickly caught by Aladdin, who stared at the blond marching towards the wizard without muttering a word. What everyone could see clearly was that the kid wasn't thinking straight. Terra for her part could see and almost see something radiating around him, true darkness.

"You won't hurt them…" Naruto whispered, charging at Mozenrath.

The wizard shot his own attack, expecting to see the kid screaming in pain while flying backwards and smashing his friends with his back. He did not expect to see the boy cut through his magic with a slash.

"What?!" the pale man exclaimed while his soldiers quickly tried to block Naruto, their swords clashing with his.

Jasmine was quicker to react, "Whatever's going on, we need to get out! We'll also have to drag Naruto with us!"

The sound of crashing told them it wouldn't be easy, and that sound came from the blond swinging his sword so hard it shattered the undead soldiers' weapons. The cat, for her part, looked amused if her wagging tail was anything to go by.

 **GIVE**

 **ALL**

 **OF**

 **YOURSELF**

 **TO**

 **ME**

 **! ! !**

"Nngh… **Grgghh** … **Step… away… from them**!"

Darkness erupted over the blond's body, his cloak exploding out into a massive field of darkness. Myriads of yellow eyes and antennae ripping out of its surface, while his Keyblade itself extended itself, a glowing energy blade made out of purple fire transforming the Keyblade into a true sword.

Long black tendrils that resembled claws shoot out of his body, impaling the undead soldiers and dragging them bodily into the darkness. Heartless appeared almost as if summoned, at least a hundred Bandits all of which seemed to follow Naruto's driving will exclusively, if their focused attention on Mozenrath was any indication.

The cat looked amazed by the sight as Naruto's hood fell back, revealing what had happened to his face. His face was covered in shifting darkness, hiding most of his discernable features, with his glowing yellow eyes, and the way the darkness morphed his face into a jagged maw, his friends realized that he was virtually a Heartless himself.

White rabbit paw like hands shoot out of the darkness and wrapped around him lovingly, creating the only sign of white on his otherwise pitch black body.

The dark mage to his credit took all of this stride, and blasted the abomination in front with him with barrages of magic. Unfortunately for him, Naruto kept on moving through the attack no matter what was launched at him, from howling skulls to dark fireballs, he kept approaching, the Heartless around him rushing past and slicing into the Undead soldiers.

In the eye of the howling storm, Mozenrath summoned the full force of his dark magic, a howling tornado and pitch black lightning storm that impended the chosen of Darkness.

" **I will protect everyone from you**!" Howling like a wild beast, Naruto leapt through the force leveled against him and swung his sword in an arc, a wave of pitch black energy devoured everything around him until all that was left was worthless rubble, and floating higher above the blond was Mozenrath, the dark man tsked in irritation.

The cat leapt onto the blond's back, the darkness surrounding him shifting itself until it formed a platform for her. Crouching down, his cloak transformed dramatically in a spray of black fluid, forming two massive bat like wings which allowed him to ascend after Mozenrath.

Stepping forward as she watched the man she cared for lose himself to her darkness, Alice clenched her fist before she yelled in desperation, "STOP!" Stop he did, and he turned to the girl like everyone else did, "You promised to help others, didn't you?! So please, don't… don't make me fight you!"

Light surrounded her entire body before it focused into her hand, she closed her eyes briefly when the light grew too bright, and to her surprise she now wielded a Keyblade of her own. Said Keyblade had a distinct heart motif, with a red heart shaped "tooth" for the Key. A golden heart above it connected to a long pinkish colored blade. Distinct yellow and brown colored card suits formed the base of the hilt, namely two clubs and a spade, a brightly colored horseshoe was used as the guard, while a single card was attached to the chain.

"A heart of pure light…" Steven whispered, his eyes turning into stars, "That's it! Alice, you're a Princess of Heart! Use your light on him!"

Blue orbs turned to the odd weapon, filling the girl with determination, "My light…. Lady Luck… Give me strength!" She declared before pointing it to the sky above, a beam of white light forming over the Keyblade's tip. She focused it at Naruto, shining light into his face and making the cat screech angrily on his shoulder.

" **I will... I must… protect… Alice… Alice**!"

With a single attack he struck Mozenrath back down to the earth before the darkness surrounding him shattered. The cat clung to his body tightly even as her former method of transportation fell to the ground on one knee. His Keyblade, still bigger than before, was used to stop his fall. He gripped it tightly with both hands, preventing his face from greeting the ground abruptly.

"What just… happened?" Aladdin finally asked.

Naruto growled at the cat, "You…" He tried to reach her, but the feline flipped backwards and with a disappointed hiss she disappeared, her green eyes glowing at the blond. His legs wobbled, so Aladdin and Jasmine were quick to get a hold of him, hurriedly slinging his arms over their shoulders.

"Well, I hope you're feeling better…" Mozenrath started, standing up, "Because I'm about to find a way to truly bring one from the dead, ultimately restoring life, so I can kill you until the end of time!"

Steven had a quick idea, the best plan he ever had. With a fast finger, he aimed at Mozenrath, "What's that over there?!"

The wizard turned to see… nothing. And when he turned to see the others, he also found nothing, "Note to me: turn the short kid into a test subject." He spat out with venom.

The odd group ran through the dark streets, Aladdin and Jasmine supporting the blond with Sadira scouting ahead for any incoming dangers, and the now three available fighters were busy making short work of the undead soldiers and even Heartless.

While her lessons had been nothing but an introduction, the Heartless were at least predictable enough for Alice to get some clean hits on the Shadows, and even the Soldiers if she felt daring. The Bandits, however, proved a problem when they threw their blades, but they weren't a challenge to Steven's shield and bubble, which after deflecting their weapons left the Heartless open for his attacks.

For her part, Terra was on another level, "Be gone!" she shouted while summoning forth a rain of lightning with a chant of "Thundara!" to watch the sword wielding Heartless turn into smoke. But the green head looked worried to the blond, because while barely conscious his Keyblade still devoured the darkness and hearts of downed enemies.

"It's downhill from here!" Sadira said, dashing to them, simultaneously ducking under a slash from one of Mozenrath's soldiers.

Steven beamed, "Time to roll everyone!" once everyone was close enough he summoned his bubble, and started to run forward.

Seeing the bubble move and the enemies in front of them lined up down a perfectly straight street to the outside of the city, even the still groggy blond forced his feet to run down. Two of the zombies watched the pink glowing sphere rush at everything, shared a quick and terrified hug to hold someone for dear life, and ended flatter than pancakes along everything in the bubble's way.

"This is actually quite amusing." Alice admitted after seeing one of the Bandit Heartless cover its face with its hands seconds before the bubble crushed it.

Once they finally made it out, the group kept moving forward, not daring to stop, "It's a long way to Agrabah, so give it your all." Aladdin said.

"I… I can take us there." Naruto said, taking his arms off his friends.

Steven dispelled his bubble, and everyone turned to see their blond friend, "After what happened?!" Alice didn't want to sound like she was scolding him, but he nearly gave her a heart attack.

"I got it under control!" he pleaded, his yellow eyes looking as alive as before they turned that color, "I was under some illusion by that cat."

Jasmine sighed, "I… I believe him." she admitted, "He acted the same as always, but it was only after that cat appeared that he truly lost himself."

Terra put a hand on her chin, "Now that you mention it, like Mozenrath that cat did give out an odd aura. But it was more like that of someone I knew…"

"A friend?" Steven asked, wanting to hold on to his hopes for good news.

Terra shook her head, looking horrified, "Far from it. It was the aura of a true monster… I don't even want to mention his name."

"Well, whoever he is, I'm not losing to him or that cat!" Naruto said, putting on his brave face with his thumb hooked to himself, "I promised to keep you all safe, no matter what. Even if I turn into pure darkness, I'm not breaking that promise."

"I think you may have won that battle because of something else, this." Alice said, showing her Keyblade, "Lady Luck… that's this Keyblade's name. I believe it was more than luck what allowed you to remain how you were, it's the fact you're surrounded by light that allows you to remain how you are even after this… transformation of yours."

Naruto grumbled, "I guess you're right." He looked down, "Then all I have to do is stick close to you, right?" he said, looking full of hope, "Well, that's easy! If all it takes is to be near a cute girl to survive the darkness, I can do it without breaking a sweat!"

Alice pulled her cloak over her body, making sure her heated cheeks were out of sight. It seemed that, even if his eyes were now yellow, he remained the same cheerful boy that wanted to smile. But the taste of fear everyone experienced from their encounter with the darkness attempt to hold on to him remained.

Too bad someone decided to rain on their parade.

"Missed me?!"

Mozenrath celebrated his assault with a blast best described as a huge frickin' laser. A gigantic purple beam attempted to split Steven's shield, the young boy merely placed his hands forward.

His eyes turning into determined stars, "A shield protects everyone behind it, no matter who they are! Because it has to, because the person who needs it is someone to protect! A great man once said, stand behind him! Because he would always be there for anyone who needed him! I refuse to allow you to harm my friends!"

"FOOLISH BRAT! You cannot protect anyone!"

"JUST! WATCH! ME!"

Mozenrath howled in fury, Steven's determined cry heralding the shield actually growing in size and durability, glowing barriers manifested around it, creating a rotating prism that deflected the blast aimed at them.

Looking positively enraged, Mozenrath swished his hand down, black lightning splitting the sky. This time Steven didn't let the shield go, and this time he actually swatted the lightning away from his friends with it With a wider grin the boy rushed forward, the ground moving as he created a bubble between him and the man like a platform. He quickly got on it and jumped up, launching himself airborne. Slamming his shield into the dark man's face in a move he learned from a very tall and very cool Square Mom, the resulting concussive force knocked Mozenrath back with a heavily sore face.

Ascending into the sky with him, Naruto felt his body attempting to resist his will after his little transformation. He still held his Keyblade and cut a swath through multiple purple and black orbs, the explosions that they launched bringing ragged tears and rips to his cloak that quickly closed thanks to the darkness. He willed his body to move faster towards the dark mage, and it did. Speaking of the pale wizard, he whirled around to find an air wave already knocking him out of the sky after the blond kicked him at speeds the naked eye couldn't track.

The blond took a moment to realize what he just did, ' _That was one of those Soldier Heartless' kicks._ ' He gripped his Keyblade tighter, ' _It seems this thing's actually useful, but still dangerous._ '

Alice cut the air with Lady Luck, her blue eyes glowing with the knowledge the light in her heart gave her before she shot a barrage of glowing white light spheres into Mozenrath's body. The attack aggravated the man and made him howl furiously. He brought his full wrath to bare on the princess of light, in the dark storm he unleashed, two brilliant lines shone and split it apart.

Aladdin's voice echoed in the desert from the shock, "Sadira?!"

Sadira held her hands together, slowly opening her eyes to reveal them glowing pure white. Throwing them into the air, the sands whirled and howled as she shaped them both into a pair of fists and launched them forward. A discarded dagger was grabbed and held tightly in her hand while she let her power wash over her. Sand rose up around her and shot in alternating blasts of force that made Mozenrath curse further.

A sudden crack of lightning above him forced him to dodge away as Terra launched magical attack after magical attack at him. Fire, ice, and lightning all heralded her call and command to attack him without end.

Aladdin and Sadira were finally face to face, the girl looking down, "I… was never fully honest with you… I'm…" and her words died in her throat when he hugged her.

"Let's get out of here, we can talk when we get back." He said with a reassuring smile, making her know she was one lucky gal.

Without much time to react, the two only saw Jasmine run past them with Sadira's dagger in hand. Naruto spun around to see an undead soldier about to strike him down, and before the rotting sword wielder could land a hit his blade met the dagger's edge. Jasmine, inexperienced as she was, gave a yelp before kicking the undead man in the gut.

After seeing the corpse fall down like a sack of rocks, she turned to the blond with a small smile, "Let's get out of here."

Mozenrath growled, "I'll find you rats, and use your teeth to decorate my throne room!"

Naruto twirled his sword, deflecting a magical strike from him, "Sorry, but I got something else planned." With a wave of his hand, a Dark Corridor appeared behind Mozenrath. The mage turned to look at it, and then at his enemies, all rushing through his army right at him. Even Aladdin joined in, picking a saber from one of the guards and holding it deftly in his right hand.

Sadira's sand shot forward, creating a pair of hands that grabbed the charging Steven. Said boy grinned massively as his shield grew in size, transforming himself into a battering ram that knocked most of the soldiers out of the party's way. Mozenrath unleashed his own attacks, magical blasts aimed at the group. Alice let out a battle cry when she swung her Keyblade, Lady Luck unleashing a large sphere of light that clashed and destroyed the dark magic.

Mozenrath was about to step back, but found his feet frozen, literally. He looked down to find that Terra had already used one of her spells to keep him in place, leaving him open to the three fastest members of the group. Aladdin swung at a nearby soldier, blocking his sword from cutting off his head, and jumped on the moving corpse's head, using it like a step. Naruto's Keyblade cut through the pale man's desperate attempt at blasting all three away, and Jasmine dashed to the side and got into position.

All three kicked Mozenrath at full force, sending the man flying straight into the Dark Corridor which Naruto quickly closed.

The whiskered blond closed his eyes with a smile, sighing in relief, "Like I said, I won't be killed, and I'll protect everyone I can."

"Is something the matter?" Jasmine asked, pocketing the dagger.

He shook his head, "No, after this I just want to get out." He looked around, "I need to distance myself from the darkness."

"And we have to talk to Jafar." She added, "He has to hear what happened here, whether he wants to or not."

 **HE**

 **IS**

 **MINE**

 **YOU**

 **VILE**

 **CAT**

 **! ! !**

Kaguya found herself meeting an unwelcomed guest in her throne room, Shadows stepping out of her way but showing that while inferior they still wanted to harm the intruder.

"Why hello there, I see you're that bunny that dearest Naruto was talking of. My name is Mirage, and I am the one known as Evil Incarnate in my world."

With a wave of a single clawed hand, the shadows were knocked aside and scattered by pure magic, stepping forward was an elegant yet dangerously sinister woman with the head of a cat and black fur. Clad in a red bra top that exposed her midriff, a lower dress that contained her furred but clearly feminine body, and a gold headdress that covered her black hair. Her bangs were capped with gold apparel, giving her an exceedingly gaudy appearance. She wore gold bands over her arms, and had an elongated red collar around her neck.

With glimmering green feline eyes, the woman gave Kaguya a sadistic smile as she extended her hand in a mocking gesture.

"I've taken an interest you see, in corrupting him for my own ends. Rather than let him be overtaken by the darkness, I wish to see him become a slave to his own evil, to see him enact barbarities against his foes, to devour their hearts, to become ever stronger in a never ending rampage across every world. I wish to see him live up to his true potential, you see."

The woman said candidly, her tone growing with increasing sadism and pure malice as her eyes glowed green, her entire body shivering at the destruction and chaos Naruto could unleash were he to give in fully to his darkness. The rabbit woman had an expressionless face yet to her sadistic eyes Mirage could tell she was absolutely infuriated at her words, and before the cat woman could blink, a blast of darkness would've nearly taken her head off had she not teleported out of range and appeared behind Kaguya.

Whirling around, the pale woman's hair morphed into a barrage of fists. Mirage floated back rapidly, laughing as she extended her hands, twin blasts of hellfire blowing Kaguya back and making her calmly put out the fires that had broken out over her dress.

Portals ripped open with her hair fists impaling Mirage on every corner of her feline body. The cat had a surprised look that quickly turned to masochistic glee, before her entire body faded away, and reappeared opposite Kaguya's once more.

"We do need to talk more often my dear, you have yet to say a single word in response! All work and no play, makes Kaguya a dull girl!" Mirage's mocking laughter echoed out in the throne room as Kaguya seemed even more furious than before if the veins popping around her eyes were any indication.

"State your business before I skin you, fake goddess." The rabbit woman was truly hating her unwelcomed guest.

Said feline cackled, "Well, I can see you're going to be no fun at all my dear. So I'll be brief and to the point. I want to make Naruto MY instrument and ultimate tool of destruction, he's… unique and interests me." Mirage said with a toothy smile that made Kaguya even more irritated.

With a final laugh Mirage parted, her entire body fading like sand in the wind, while the Rabbit Goddess was left with her raw fury.

 **YOU**

 **CANNOT**

 **RUN**

 **FROM**

 **ME**

Finally back in Agrabah, the gang walked into the throne room to find things were different than before.

"Guards, arrest those street rats for kidnapping the princess." Jafar said with a smirk.

 **YOU**

 **WILL**

 **CALL**

 **FOR**

 **ME**

 **AND**

 **ONLY**

 **ME**

 **. . .**

 **XXXXXX**

 **And that's my rap!**

 **I wanted to do things fast-paced here considering that what first comes to mind when I think of Aladdin is his speed and agility.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed it, because next chapter is a visit to an odd set of wonders inside a cave.**

 **Swordslinger out!**


	6. Hidden wonders

I OWN NOTHING

One can only ponder how much they can do for a story and for how long, I usually just shove my head inside my head into a freezer and wait for things to calm down.

 **XXXXXX**

Hidden wonders

 **YOU**

 **WILL**

 **FEEL**

 **MY**

 **POWER**

 **RUNNING**

 **THROUGH**

 **YOUR**

 **VEINS**

"What's the meaning of this, Jafar?" Jasmine demanded, her glare hotter than the sun over Agrabah.

The man in question stroked his beard, casually staring at the kids and two street rats surrounded by Razoul and his men, "Whatever do you mean, Princess? It is our duty to stop these kidnappers. After all, the Sultan himself gave the order after you were taken from him by your so-called friend."

"That's a lie and you know it!" Naruto shouted, but readied himself with his now larger Keyblade in both hands. Since it was heavier, he held it by his right hip with the tip near the ground, thought he could and would hold it singlehandedly if the saber wielding men gave him a reason to use magic.

"There is one way to prove it, boy." Jafar said, unable to hold his smirk, "I've talked to the Sultan about a myth, a legend that tests those pure of heart. Only someone with exceptional skills can survive this." He showed them two halves of a golden beetle, "I assume that if you're as honorable and righteous as you claim to be, this should be an easy task."

"What do you want, you son of a jackal?" Aladdin really didn't like the guy.

Jafar scoffed, "I'd hold my tongue, boy. After all, if you complete this test, you could get unmeasurable wealth."

"Unmeasurable?" Naruto echoed, his eyes briefly turning into munny before he shook his head, "Wait, what's the catch?"

Jafar grinned, "If you're not pure of heart… You will be swallowed by sand." He chuckled and eyed Aladdin, "But I'm sure that'll hardly be an issue after you escaped Mozenrath. And if you manage to complete this task any treasure you find could be yours. Perhaps enough to give you a wedding not even the Sultan could afford."

The lanky young man in question briefly looked at Sadira. Magic or not, he did desire for great things, and to be able to share them with her. The idea of unmeasurable treasure for a wedding after completing a task to clear his and Naruto's name was tempting. The thing was that it didn't take a genius to know it was too good to be true.

Sadira's expression told him everything he needed to make his decision, she would believe in him and trust in him no matter what his decision was, turning determined eyes to Jafar he stepped forward and declared, "What do you want us to find? What is so precious to you that you will rely on us?"

Stepping away slowly, Jafar hummed in amusement as he was already in control of the situation, "Go to the Cave of Wonders. It will awaken for your arrival. If you and your companions are pure of heart, you will be able to enter. Once there, take only one thing and one thing only, ignore all the treasure and riches you see, for without this item you will never own a single copper coin. The lamp, take only the lamp. And bring it to the entrance or you will never go free in Agrabah again."

His words were insidious and all of them knew that there was something more that he wanted. The lamp was more than likely something extraordinary for him to desire it so. Naruto made up his mind.

' _If I run away I'm not fixing anything… I just have to find a way to beat this guy at his own game._ ' With his priorities straight, he spoke up, "Aladdin, Jasmine, Sadira, Steven, Terra, Alice… we're in this together, and I'll help you out no matter what the situation." His eyes narrowed on the vizier, "When we get back, I'll beat the reasons of why you want this lamp out of you Jafar, one way or another." Pointing his Keyblade at the man with a growl, he shouldered it as Jasmine exhaled slowly.

Her eyes erupted with a determined fire, and she stepped closer to Naruto, Razoul trying to grab her only for the blond to snap his Keyblade up and block him. "Tell my father that I'll go with Naruto too, he'll need help if he wishes to find this lamp with Aladdin." She spoke directly to the point, using a tone that said she'd never have a no for an answer.

Cursing, Jafar couldn't do a thing in public for the Sultan had treated Naruto like a friend when he met the blond and the princess still far out-ranked him. If he brought the Sultan and said it was by his orders that Naruto had to be jailed, he'd have problems if the dark Keyblade user found how odd the man acted. It wouldn't help if the princess tried to talk to her father, and if he forced his magic the boy would notice the darkness. Figures that the family that had been blessed to live in the greatest of pleasures and luxuries with pure hearts would find ways to foil him. He could only watch the Princess stand by the blond.

"Very well, but we will hold your friends captive until you come back with the lamp." His words gave Naruto pause, but Alice, Steven, Terra, and Sadira all gave him nods.

"We'll be fine Naruto, do not worry about a thing! I'll protect everyone, Pearl would be upset if I let these jerks hurt them at all!" Steven gave a bright grin and double thumbs up to Naruto, relieving him deeply.

Jafar tossed the halves of the gold beetle at the blond and the street rat, both catching them without breaking glares with the scrawny vizier. Without another word, but with their glares set on the skinny man before opening a Dark Corridor. The three went in, and Jafar was left with his three 'guests' and methods to make them-

"What in the name of… Oh, who would you be, kids?" the Sultan had just entered the room.

Seeing the jolly man, Alice took time to examine him, "Santa Claus?" she blinked after what she said, feeling embarrassed, "Oh my, do forgive my rudeness, sir. I just let my tongue speak with no mind."

The Sultan chuckled, "Not a problem dear. Hmm… I can tell just by looking at you that you're not from around here." He stared at Terra in particular when saying that seeing how her outfit differed from others, but then again Steven and Alice did look out of place, "Let me guess, you're friends with Naruto, right? Oh dear, I remember having this odd headache when he left… I saw him leaving with my daughter but I think something is missing."

Jafar forced a smile, "Your Majesty, you should return to your throne room and keep playing with your toys. This matter shouldn't bother you at all." He said, putting his staff's red eyes on the small man's.

"What?" Alice gasped in surprise when her Keyblade appeared like it had to, Lady Luck pulsing with light in her grasp.

The Sultan felt lightheaded, but shook his head, "N-No, I'm fine…" the vizier bit his lip and tried hard not to glare at the blonde princess, "I want to ask about my daughter's whereabouts and see if she's fine."

Steven was quick to answer, "She is! And she even saved our hides along Naruto, Aladdin and Sadira here!" he motioned to said young woman, "Your daughter's also amazing!"

The portly man felt his smile widen more than ever before, "She did all of that for you three?! Goodness, I couldn't be prouder… or any more worried…" he added the last part with fear in his eyes, "Is she ok?"

Terra spoke up, "You see, Your Highness, our friend was tasked by Jafar here to find an artifact to prove his innocence."

"Jafar, is this true?" the small ruler's tone had shifted from merry to stern.

Alice, after getting rid of her shock, nodded, "Yes. And Jasmine decided to follow Naruto in order to help him. She wouldn't have it any other way, though."

The Sultan looked worried, but that worry turned into a stern glare when he faced his vizier, "Out."

The skinny sorcerer paled, "E-Excuse me?"

"Out, Jafar. Out. I do not desire to talk to you after hearing of this. But you will have to answer to this. Razoul!" said man saluted at the now angry Sultan, "Take him to his chambers and make sure he doesn't leave them. I will have a few words with him once Jasmine returns."

A quick trip to said dark man's chambers later…

"Damnation! That brat and the princess both will pay for this humiliation!" Jafar cursed in his only true domain in Agrabah, Iago laughing loudly and annoying him intensely.

"HAH! HAH! HAH! Seems like you've been caught at last Jafar, huh?! It's like you weren't going to succeed at all!" the parrot was having trouble breathing, while mentally pondering what good oasis he could go to in case the skinny dark wizard lost.

"Silence, you worm! If I am caught, then you will suffer with me!" Iago's cackling was cut short by the vizier grabbing his beak and glaring at him. Thoroughly cowed, the parrot watched as Jafar held out his staff, darkness coalescing around it, from the shadows Heartless emerged. Jafar growled to himself and stepped through the portal the Bandits opened up for him.

"Are you crazy?! That watermelon with legs will have your head for this, Jafar!" Iago shouted, but the man wasn't even listening.

"My ambitions will not die here, I will rule Agrabah, and have this world for myself!" He was unaware of the ethereal rabbit paws that attached to the back of his head, Kaguya exerting her will and manipulating him towards her own ends while he passed through into the darkness.

The parrot groaned, "I should have listened to my Ma." He then mimicked her voice, " _Oh dear, why don't you go with a pirate? They at least have decent crackers._ " He groaned again, "Ugh, but I had to stick to the one guy that at least takes decent baths."

 **EVERYONE**

 **SHALL**

 **OBEY**

 **US**

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **. . .**

The desert had grown dark as the three had traveled through it, as night fell, the air grew colder and far chillier, enough so that Jasmine stayed close to Naruto and Aladdin held his arms tightly.

"I wonder if Gaara has to deal with this weather at night…" the blond mumbled, closing his cloak to enjoy its warmth. Clicking the golden beetle shards together, Naruto raised his hand and threw the scarab forward. As it fluttered in the darkness, its golden shimmer could be seen before it landed down on a point in the sand.

An explosion of sand shocked all present and a gigantic tiger's head made of sand rose out of it, two harsh white eyes glowered savagely at the three before it asked in a massive booming voice.

" **Who dares enter the Cave of Wonders?"** Its tone brokered nothing but absolute honesty.

Jasmine stepped forward and politely stated, "Oh Great Cave, we wish to enter, and take only a lamp from your depths."

The tiger's head glared at her sharply, before exhaling from tis nose, sand blowing towards them, " **Enter, and take only the lamp. If you are pure at heart, you may enter."**

Nodding at her companions, the princess stepped forward, the Cave of Wonders opening its maw, and showing a long series of steps that went inside. Naruto stepped forward after her, placing a single foot on the step. The cave exhaled again, and although its eyes narrowed, it ultimately let him pass as well. Despite the darkness that clung to him, even his heart was pure deep down, he did not let it be corrupted beyond his control over it.

Aladdin walked inside himself, his eyes taking in the splendor of the cave with awed expressions. It was then that a loud chittering noise was heard, "Abu!"

Naruto did a double-take when somehow, behind Aladdin, a small monkey jumped out and tried to grab the treasure. Like the young man the little creature had a purple vest and a small fez that proportionately matched its head. Its brown fur made it stand out in its airborne trip to a large jewel on the floor, until Aladdin caught it by the tail and yanked it back.

The monkey actually gave the street rat a dirty look, "Oh… You have a monkey?" Naruto finally asked.

The young man nodded, "I should have introduced you first. Guys, this is Abu. He's been my friend and partner in crime for… quite a long time." the monkey waved.

Naruto sighed, "If what that old snake said is true, then he'll have to keep his hands to himself… all four of them." Abu blew a raspberry at him, "Why you!"

"Abu!" the young man scolded him, "Come on, he's our friend and at least stood up for us. You could be nice."

The monkey looked away but his eyes soon conveyed regret, making Aladdin smile. So did Jasmine, "Ok, now we got more help. The sooner we find this lamp, the better."

Naruto paused, arms crossed while he stood deep in thought, "I still find that this is too convenient. If we hand Jafar the lamp, what will he do with it? I don't like the guy, that's for sure. There's something that tells me this is going to be a bad day." He then looked up with some slight surprise on his face, "Huh, I'm actually surprised I said something that smart."

"I wouldn't really call it smart, but you have a point." Aladdin said with a small grin after the blond glared at the remark.

"Hey, I can be smart… in battle. Anyway! We better get that lamp soon before Jafar tries something. He just will, it's obvious…" he groaned, "I actually saw a guy like him. His name was Gato, and… thanks to him two good people died…" at that statement he shook his fists, "But I'm not letting that happen here and now, and that's a promise you better believe in!"

"Speaking of keeping your promise…" Jasmine said, walking backwards until she stood by Naruto with her dagger in hand, "We got company."

Bandit Heartless appeared, a dozen of them accompanied by what looked like Large Bodies, but these Heartless wore clothing more typical of Agrabah and Naruto could sense fire tickling his hand looking at them. A couple of Shadows also made themselves known, but what surprised the trio was when some rather dull looking vases in the pile of money shuddered. They brought up their weapons when insectoid legs popped out of the vases, accompanied by a hole for them to see.

Finally, Naruto had to state something, albeit rather flatly, "For being embodiments of darkness, you guys keep getting weirder."

Hefting his Keyblade over his shoulder with both hands, the blond rushed at the critters with Aladdin and Jasmine in tow. Being the agile street rat he was, Aladdin ducked under the large Heartless' mighty swing and was on top of its shoulders in a split second. Before the obese Heartless could swat him off, Abu jumped on him and pulled down his turban, blinding him. With a smile, Aladdin flipped off the large monster's body and landed behind him, cutting his back with ease while Abu landed on his shoulder. He chuckled when five Shadows jumped at him, grasping only air when he weaved around their claws, sneaked behind them, and slashed their backs with a cheeky grin.

Jasmine rushed at the nearest vase Heartless and watched it jump at her, so she jumped up too. The Heartless was intent on catching her, but it didn't know that she managed to get past Razoul and the other guards to get out of the palace. That required some stealth and more than a few skills to get past some obstacles. Not that her father knew, otherwise he'd have tightened the security. It still served her to place a foot on the vase, jump up by using it as a step, and hear it crash to the floor against other Heartless.

Naruto's Keyblade clashed with three Bandits' swords with an echoing smash of metal against metal. He could be chakra-less at the moment, but with sheer will power and countless hours of training to be stronger he managed to push them back. The Heartless staggered back and were wide open, so the blond decided to give them a taste of his own medicine. Acting on instinct, he brought up his blade and watched dark energy cover it. And with a mighty swing, the Keyblade flew like a boomerang at the Bandits, cutting them in half before returning to his hands.

He was about to call for Jasmine, see if she needed help, but watched something extraordinary. The princess had stepped on a carpet with a beautiful and very elaborate design, just when some Bandits and a Fat Bandit were trying to capture her. When her feet touched it, the carpet flew into the air, making the monsters clash against each other, with the Fat Bandit's body crushing and killing its brethren. The darkness and hearts went to his Keyblade, but he was too amazed by the fact a magical flying carpet was helping Jasmine!

"Wh-How?!" she asked, but quickly grabbed on to it and saw that everyone, even the Heartless, stopped fighting to see what happened… making her smile, "Go down!" she told the carpet, and it did so.

Zipping around Heartless at incredible speeds, it didn't take long for the carpet and the princess to be done with the dark creatures before they could even reply. The Fat Bandits breathed fire, the normal Bandits threw their swords, and the other Heartless tried to jump and strike the airborne princess. But her new friend was too fast for them and soon it was like there never had been any Heartless in the cave.

"That… is awesome!" Naruto said, his eyes sparkling. If Steven were there, he'd have agreed with starry eyes.

Jasmine and Aladdin smiled at his excitement, the former speaking, "I have to agree… But if there are Heartless here…" she wondered out loud, "What is happening to the Cave of Wonders?"

Naruto hummed, "Maybe it doesn't even notice the Heartless. I mean, they're Heartless. Some of them do have hearts, but it's like they don't have them at the same time." he took a moment to think his words, "Jeesh, that sounds depressing if I think about it too hard."

"It means that there's darkness in this cave, and if there is…" Jasmine trailed off, "There must be something attracting it here."

Aladdin looked at Naruto, the blond speaking before he did, "Yes, I see your point. But could there be another reason?" he was almost pleading that there were, "I don't want to think I'm going to bring these guys everywhere I want to go. I mean, what if I need to go to the bathroom and-"

The carpet slid off Jasmine's feet without her noticing, and patted the blond on the shoulder with one of its… corners, causing Abu to make noises at it, "Calm down, Abu. It helped us fight, so it must be a friend. Besides, how cool is it? An actual magic carpet."

Naruto gave Aladdin's words the credit they deserved and turned to the carpet, "What is it, pal? Do you want to show us something?"

The carpet moved its top like a head, like it were nodding, and laid before them, making steps with its body for the group to get on. The group did, sat on, grabbed an end each and readied themselves. With matching yelps of awe and the adrenaline rush of going at the speed of lightning in no time flat, the trio and the monkey were in for a ride. Flying over mountains of treasure, past treacherous traps, and turning around corners in the cave, they finally reached their destination.

It was… far less impressive than the treasure in amount of wealth, but the atmosphere still screamed something ominous to the trio as they landed. A large rock stalagmite deformed by the water that surrounded it, more like a pillar with rocky steps, stood high above the ground towards a light that came from the ceiling. Said light bathed a very old oil lamp. Naruto arched a brow. It didn't even look like it was made of gold considering how sparkly the coins he saw before were. It had no jewels, and perhaps wasn't even made of brass.

"Is that it?" Jasmine voiced his thoughts.

Naruto cupped his hands to his mouth, "Hey, you oversized cat! What's the catch?!" he asked the cave, which gave no answer.

"We still need to deliver it to Jafar." Aladdin said, already climbing up, "You two wait here. If it's a trap, I'm agile enough to get out of danger." Naruto also noticed that the carpet wasn't moving to help Aladdin, so he knew there had to be a catch which of course worried him for his friend.

"If it's a trap, I'm here to help you too." he told the young man with a determined nod.

Aladdin nodded back and kept going while Naruto's worry grew. He blushed when Jasmine's hand interlaced fingers with his. She was just as if not more worried for the young man reaching what could be a deadly trap. Feeling his heart beating so insanely fast it would look like it stood still, the blond gave her hand a reassuring squeeze while thanking he wore gloves. He didn't want her to notice how sweaty he was getting.

In the end, their prayers were answered, and soon Aladdin held up the lamp with a winning smile… which quickly shattered, "Abu! No!"

Naruto and Jasmine turned to see the little monkey reaching for a large golden statue which held a very large red diamond with greed in its little eyes while the carpet tried and failed to stop him.

It was too late, and when the cave started to shake, the little monkey couldn't return the jewel fast enough. "I **nfidels**!" the cave roared, " **You have touched the forbidden treasure**!" Abu had put the jewel back in its place, too late. He watched it and the statue melt while the cave shouted its next ominous words, " **You will never again see the light of day**!"

The pillar where Aladdin stood, and which he was trying to get off as fast as he could, trembled when fire erupted from the top. Naruto and Jasmine watched the water turn into lava, and the tremors soon made their friend fall. Luckily, the carpet caught the young man, who flew right for his friends, all three of them. Naruto grabbed the princess in his arms and the monkey by the tail, carrying the first bridal style and having the second on his shoulder. When Aladdin reached them, he jumped right when he felt heat on his feet. Lava missed his shoes by an inch, and soon the group was flying towards the exit.

"I'll find a way to cook you later!" Naruto told the guilty monkey before raising forward his left hand, fire blasting rocks that were falling around them.

Lava behind them, falling rocks in front of them, it was easy to say why they needed to get out, "Can't you open a portal?!" Aladdin shouted.

"Do you think I'm blasting fire for fun?" he retorted, "I need to focus on where I want to go. It's not easy when we're trying to avoid getting crush or turned into ashes!"

Last time he was running for dear life like this, Aqua had at least kept the Heartless at bay to give him enough time to form a portal. Not to mention he wasn't trying to outrun a wave of lava!

"Hold on!" Jasmine shouted, a finger aimed forward at a rocky wall.

The three held on to the carpet yet again, which did a nosedive towards a gate where the treasure was. They could see the entrance now, past the treasure that the lava melted with explosions of fire around them, creating pillars of scorching death. The stairs were crumbling, and they were just about to make it, if only Naruto had looked up and blasted a large rock falling on top of them.

The carpet fell down, crushed by the weight. The trio fell on the top of the stairs, Aladdin holding on to it while Naruto stabbed his Keyblade on the other side with one hand, the other holding on to Jasmine's. The princess clung to him for dear life, while everything around them crumbled.

"The lamp and the princess! Give them to me!" the group looked up at Jafar, reaching towards them, "If you want to prove your innocence, hand them to me!"

"Like I'd buy that!" Naruto shouted, the image of Gato, that fat and tiny excuse of a man, sickened him after what the tyrant did to two of his friends. Jafar worrying more about the lamp than him or Aladdin was making both men look alike more and more.

Jafar grinned, "Then the Heartless will take them from you by force… My Liege…" he spat the last two words with disgust.

"You…!" Naruto spat out, then slapped his hand away, his Keyblade creating a dark flame that shot forward and burnt the man across his hands, making him howl in agony.

And then, it was like instinct took control over him when his yellow eyes flashed with power. Falling back, he held his Keyblade tightly, dark tendrils shooting out and wrapping around Aladdin and Jasmine and holding them close. Abu clutched the man's head and chittered in fear while Naruto took a page out of Steven's book and used the power of the Large Body's shield.

His eyes closed shut as the dark energy enveloped them all, and he fell into an abyss with each of his two friends together against him.

In the darkness all was silent. Until dark black bodies shifted and yellow eyes glimmered in the pitch black darkness. The Heartless swarmed around the shield and actually formed a living tower, creating a huge black spire made up of their milling bodies, almost like ants. They swung to and fro sharply, using the momentum to helpfully place the falling blond and his friends at the bottom of a huge pit. Each of them dispersed one by one, the shield shattering with Naruto face down against the rock wall, Aladdin and Jasmine as well as Abu unconscious next to him.

 **THE**

 **FOOL**

 **SHALL**

 **PAY**

 **FOR**

 **HARMING**

 **YOU**

It was roughly several hours later that they woke up, groaning weakly. Naruto rose with Jasmine, the princess moaning in pain as she nursed an aching head, "What hit us…? Jafar… THAT SNAKE!" She rose with a scowl then fell back into Naruto's arms, the two groaning weakly to each other.

Aladdin rose with Abu next, his teeth grit as he rubbed the back of his head and his hand holding the lamp tightly in between his vest cloth.

"That damn vizier… he backstabbed us, and now we're stuck down here… With this dirty lamp! Why did he even want it that bad?" he was about to throw it until something caught his eye, "What the… there's some writing, it's really dirty so I can't make it…" Aladdin told his friends while he examined the lamp curiously, his eyes trying to make sense of some faint letters upon it.

Naruto turned his head, examining the inscriptions. "Wishes…?" He noticed a few glimmering letters as Aladdin begun rubbing them to get the dust off, and both were instantly caught off guard when a loud voice cried out in pain. Blue smoke shot to the caverns above, along with a huge amount of stars, lunar symbols, and sparkling glimmer.

In front of the two males, a pair of beings had materialized, unlike any other they had ever seen. The being that had emerged from Aladdin's lamp was a blue skinned man with a hugely bulky body, friendly and warm eyes that sparkled with relief at being free, a red sash around his waist, earrings, and a black tuft of hair above his head along with gold rings around each of his arms. He even had a goatee and beard that made his smile look friendlier.

And he spoke, "Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck!" he said, grabbing the back of his neck to crack some bones. He quickly picked them both by their collars and left them hanging in the air, "Hang on for a moment." And to further shatter reality, he pulled off his head, gave it a few spins in the air, and put it back on with a jubilant shout. "Does it feel good to be out of there!"

As he cheered for his freedom, Jasmine helped Naruto down while the carpet and Abu did the same with Aladdin. "Who or what are you?!" Naruto shouted, finally having his brain working after the shock tuned itself down a notch. Things were still at twelve in weirdness, though.

"Oh, how long has it been since I had done an introduction?!" he cheered, looking like he had waited a long time to do this.

Then again, with what he said, he must have.

"How hard did we hit our heads?" Jasmine finally asked.

"Hitting your head?! I can proscribe two aspirin, a little bit of sleep, and a good steam bath. But take them with your meal or it'll be a major problem I'm afraid." The Genie for that was what he was zoomed towards them, suddenly wearing a doctor's scrubs, hat, and gloves as he handed Jasmine a small bottle of pills. Then he spun around as he was now dressed like a masseuse, comfortably dressed in a suit with fizzy hair and glasses, he pointed towards them with a small pencil before handing them the pills.

"I'm the Genie of the lamp! Simply delighted to meet you all, it's really an honor, let me tell you guys! I've been stuck in that lamp for so long all I could do was smell dust, my nose hasn't been this clear in centuries!" He extended three different hands that shook all three of them, his grin reaching his eyes before he whirled around and blew his nose with a kerchief, wiping it delicately before making it disappear with a snap of his fingers.

"W-Wow… you really got yourself someone interesting there Aladdin. He's… energetic, to say the least. Even more than Lee and Gai." Naruto was blown away by the high energy Genie exhibited at every turn, the blue skinned man whirling around and eying him up with two huge peepers. "Oh, hello. I'm Naruto."

"My name's Jasmine." The princess introduced herself with a bow.

"Name's Aladdin." Said the youth.

Genie took a moment to examine the blond and determine what he was, "Ah! A denizen of the dark, but you're one of those rare sorts who don't let themselves succumb! Was it so long ago that you all had that war with the light? I always said that your sort just needed a warm glass of milk and a hug before bed to make you stay on the right side, seems that at least something right did happen!" He laughed out, he handed Naruto a glass of milk then tucked him into a warm bed, the bed disappeared but he still kept the delicious milk which had some cinnamon and honey mixed in to make it go down even better.

Naruto sat cross-legged, wanting an explanation, "What war?" he asked, taking a hungry gulp of milk.

The blue giant stared at him, "Hmm… It'd be best if you didn't know. In fact, between you and me, I don't even know most of it." in a flash he summoned a large tower, with a single window in which he could be seen wearing a dress and sporting a mane of hair so long it reached the ground, "I've been trapped here for so long waiting for someone to arrive, I barely keep up with the news!" he said while flipping pages of a newspaper, before grabbing his new ridiculously long mane to lasso Aladdin, yanking him to the table, "And that's where you come in, master!"

"Wait, I'm your master?" the young man asked.

"Hmm… let's see." The Genie said in a mock thoughtful tone before summoning a screen in which recorded footage of Aladdin rubbing the lamp was seen, "Well, we have a winner!"

Aladdin was suddenly at the top of a podium with a flower necklace, a large trophy in the form of Genie's face, and Naruto and Jasmine in second and third place respectively with smaller prizes. In another puff of smoke, and before Naruto could smell the bouquet of flowers he got, everything disappeared and they were left to stare at the blue giant.

"What's so important about rubbing your lamp?" Jasmine finally asked, not annoyed or tired, she just wanted the answers given to her straight.

Genie laughed, "Can't you see all of this?!" he flexed, even kissing his bicep which then grew a smiling face that blushed at the affection, "Imagine all this handsome, adorable and magical dose of a high pedigree genie trapped in that lamp for millennia! But that's not all, the one to rub my lamp gets a special thanks! Three wishes!"

"Three?" Naruto asked, picturing what he'd ask.

The Genie nodded, "But there are some rules, my foxy friend!" he appeared before them at a more normal size, "For example, I can't kill anybody." He slid his finger across his neck, cutting off his own head and letting it fall on Naruto's hands. The boy was frozen in horror before the Genie picked it up, and put it on his neck, "Second, I can't make anyone fall in love!" he said while hooking his arm around Jasmine and pressing her and Naruto face to face, inches from each other. He ignored their massive blushes, "And last but not least, I can't bring anyone back from the dead…" he turned into a green, hideous creature covered in slime, "It's not a pretty picture. I don't like doing it!"

And in another explosion of magic power, he returned to his giant self.

"Other than that, you got it." he said with a bow.

Aladdin pondered on that, but looked at Naruto, "Could you hold that thought until we leave this place?"

The genie chuckled, "But master, you could easily…" and he trailed off for a brief moment when Naruto finally opened a Dark Corridor, "…ask your friend for a favor."

Naruto looked at the giant and grabbed the lamp from Aladdin's hands, "If I were to make a wish… What would be so important about it?"

"You see, pal, wishing is the only time I get to be out of there." The Genie answered as he took on a prisoner's outfit, putting himself inside a jail cell in the next second, "That lamp and the wishes are my key to see the sun so long as I get to grant wishes."

Naruto looked at the giant, his face mirrored by Aladdin's, "So you're locked up." The blond felt… odd. ' _He's like the fox, only that he's not a jerk. And he certainly doesn't deserve this._ '

A thought came to Aladdin, "Can't you get out?"

The Genie laughed, "Ahahahaha! Oh boy that's a good one…." He stared at the trio giving him serious looks, his face taking a sad expression, "Sorry, I… I could, I really could, but…"

"But…" Jasmine softly nudged him to go on.

The Genie sighed, "My master would have to waste one wish for me to be free. So imagine how often that happens."

Naruto held the lamp firmly, "Then what if I wish that you were free right now?"

Genie's eyes said he didn't buy it, "Yeah right." His head turned into that of a puppet's which wooden nose grew two feet long.

"Hey, I mean it." Naruto said firmly, "I do have a couple of wishes to make, but I think you deserve yours more."

The genie looked skeptical, but a warm smile formed in his face which returned to normal. "Well, here's an honest one, isn't there?" his smile lit up the cave, "I can tell, even with all that darkness around you there's a tenderness to your heart… Ok then, partner! I shall grant you and your friends your wishes, so ask away."

Naruto handed Aladdin back the lamp, "I want it to be good…" he remembered Sadira, "Genie, sorry but I think it'll be best if I save my wishes for later. We have to make sure our friends are all right. But they can have theirs." He said referring to his two companions.

The genie saluted, putting on a soldier outfit, "Sir, yes sir! I shall wait for your wish be there rain, hail, or-"

Jasmine took the lamp, "Genie… I'd like to be a stronger fighter. Strong enough to fight along my friends."

"Huh, that was quick." Genie said before turning back to normal and snapping his fingers.

Jasmine's body glowed instantly, her eyes shining with power and knowledge until they turned pure white… and it was over. She looked the same as before, which did surprise the two youths. The Genie smiled, producing an apple out of thin air and threw it at the princess. Reacting like she had done this all her life, Jasmine reached for her dagger and swiftly cut the fruit in eight equally sized pieces.

Naruto whistled when he caught the apple, which split in his hands into bite-sized bits, "Whoa… And she still has two wishes left?"

The Genie nodded, "All of you have wishes left, my dear whiskered friend. Speaking of friends!" he aimed a finger at the carpet, "Rugman! Haven't seen you in a few millennia. Shake it!" he and the carpet shared a handshake, or a handshake in the blue man's case while the carpet moved to match his moves.

Naruto turned to Jasmine, "But why would you waste a wish on that?"

She smiled, "Did you really think that after all you've gone through to help me and your friends that I'd let you go on your own?" she widened her smile, feeling her cheeks heat up, "Besides, I never had as much fun as I'm doing right now with you. If I need to fight, I want to do it better than I do right now."

"Thanks…" Naruto couldn't help the warmth that accompanied that word after hearing Jasmine's sincere words. So he grabbed the lamp and looked at it, "Speaking of helping…" he turned to the blue giant, who was leaning against thin air with a knowing smile.

"Shoot, partner." He said, briefly turning into a cowboy as he did a finger gun gesture.

"For my first wish… I want to know if three friends of mine are safe. Their names are Kairi, Connie and Aqua." He would have asked about Sasuke in any other situation, but the Uchiha had about two years before the traitorous snake he decided to follow would need to possess his body. Not to mention, those three girls needed his help far more.

The Genie hummed, "Well… want the good news, or the really good news?" he asked with a smile… or he would have had he been the one to say those words.

"You!" Naruto recognized the eyes, even if the cat's form had changed.

Mirage appeared in her full evil glory, smirking as the blond felt the room grow colder, "The good news is that they can be safe. The really good news, is that you won't care once I'm done with you." she purred.

Before he could make a proper wish, all Mirage did was flick her wrist and the lamp was in her hand, with the Genie's face showing how his heart was gripped by horror. The heroes tried to rush at her, only for the deity-like cat woman to lower a hand, their bodies soon falling to their knees like they were bowing towards her when a wave of sand crushed them, burying them in place.

Green eyes widened when the blond managed to stab his incomplete Keyblade on the ground to lift himself up, growling at her, "I've seen your tricks already… I'm not falling for that twice!"

Mirage grinned, "Fuhuhuhu… I see. Every time you fight, I can see why the darkness wants you. You hold so much darkness inside of you it really is a wonder why it hasn't consumed you earlier." She threw the lamp up, mockingly catching it before their eyes before spinning it around by its handle on one outstretched claw, "Now this is interesting, a genie. I wonder who could use it to cause the mayhem you could have unleashed had you given in to your darkness."

She was referring to the blond whose anger increased, "Who are you?!"

"The name's Mirage, but you may call me mistress." She walked to him, "Without that little girl's pure heart to give you a light to follow, I want to see how fast I can turn you into-"

She was interrupted by a fireball thrown at her face, "Did you see that?!" he shouted defiantly.

Mirage's body was thrown backwards, fire consuming her face, for a split second, "I wish you hadn't done that." She said in a soft monotone as the fire disappeared before swinging her hand to the side.

Sand blasted beneath Naruto, shooting him to the ceiling and letting him fall down.

"Genie, I wish she were gone!" Aladdin shouted.

His heart sunk when seeing the blue man's face, defeat written all over it, "Sorry Al, the one with the lamp calls the shots…"

Mirage looked at Naruto, dangling the lamp before him while he forced all his attention on how to turn her into a fancy scarf and not the wound on his forehead caking his face with blood, "Just think of all the guys who'd love to wish for some destruction. Why, there are bound to be many men, women and even children who'd like to destroy something or someone. Now, picture that, and then think that this friend of yours will have to do it, even if he doesn't want to."

A haunting thought crosses his mind, one he experienced when facing Sasuke, when meeting Kaguya, when he fell under Mirage's power: ' _Am I this weak?'_ Growing like he did, it was always on the back of his mind, but never did it hit as strongly as now. Was he really that weak, that pathetic? Did he have nothing worth fighting for?

Mirage walked closer, "Just give in… and soon you won't have anything worth caring for. You shall enjoy a freedom unlike any other without remorse…" her melodious words were laced with danger and a desire for destruction, truly fitting of the woman known as Evil Incarnate.

But she forgot one thing, he did have a reason to fight: _'No… Sora, Kairi, Riku, Alice, Steven, Terra, Jasmine, Aladdin, Sadira, Genie, everyone…_ ' Naruto growled, darkness whirling around his body, "I won't… I won't lose to the likes of you!"

The cat woman let out a gasp when the blond shot out of the sand and dashed at her, holding his incomplete Keyblade in both hands, and swung at her with all his might. Mirage growled and with a snap of her fingers summoned a scimitar to parry his strike, witnessing the blade shattering against Naruto's weapon. That is why, seeing her enemy meant business, she swung her claws at him. With a yelp, Naruto had to use his magic shield to parry a strike from five ethereal blades made of dark green energy, Mirage's magic at work.

"I'm afraid you picked a pussycat too big to play with, boy." She said with dark mirth.

He aimed his sword at her, holding it tightly with both hands, "You should give up trying to get me to give up." He felt the darkness settle over him, but he also remembered why he was there, what he was fighting for, "If you try to take away what I care for, I won't stop until I beat you! I promise this to you, Mirage: no matter who or what I face, I won't be beaten by the likes of you! You better believe it."

With a sneer, the cat woman waved her hands around, disappearing along the Genie and his lamp.

"Quick, to the palace!" Jasmine said quickly, pocketing her dagger.

Naruto turned at her, actually stunned by her words, "Wait, why there?"

She balled her hands into fists, "She said she wanted to give the lamp to someone truly despicable. Who is the most despicable person in this world, Naruto?"

The blond immediately opened a Dark Corridor, "Still, why there?"

"If she hands him the lamp, he will strike that place first." She replied solemnly.

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **SHALL**

 **NEVER**

 **LOSE**

 **TO**

 **YOU**

 **WRETCHED**

 **CAT**

 **! ! !**

"Greetings and fair tidings Master Jafar. I have a present for you, I think you'll…. appreciate this." Appearing in front of the man as he angrily paced outside of the Cave of Wonders, Mirage took the form of a mere female attendant, her tone keeping his attention while Iago felt something was off. He had noticed that Jafar was far more absent-minded after he tried to betray that blond kid who fell into the darkness, and he had the weirdest feeling that the man wasn't all there anymore after seeing his long sought dream lost to the abyss below.

"H-Hey Jafar, something is wrong… Jafar?" Iago's question was unheard as the viziers attention was entirely focused on the lamp the woman held outstretched in both claws, he noticed that too late as the man took the lamp and rubbed it with an eager look.

The Genie arrived in a blast of blue smoke, and reluctantly looked down on the man as he asked, "Oh master, what is your wish and command? I am the Genie of the Lamp and I-"

"I wish to become the world's greatest sorcerer!" Jafar commanded, not even letting Genie finish his introduction.

With a simple finger gun gesture, magic zapped Jafar, giving him endless knowledge and magic beyond compare, which made his smirk that much more dangerous, but not as threatening as what happened next. "I shall await your sec-" and once again, Genie was cut off.

Iago flew off the man with a yelp when he noticed white rabbit paws like hands moving across the back of the man's skull, his eyes fading to white as he made his second wish. "A… And… I wish… I wish... To have power over the… these infernal Heartless, to control them with darkness!"

Mirage noticed far too late the changes made over him, hissing as she disappeared into the darkness.

She none the less smirked as now she and Kaguya were even, ' _Excellent counter Bunny, excellent counter indeed…'_

 **YOUR**

 **ENEMIES**

 **SHALL**

 **BECOME**

 **YOUR**

 **POWER**

 **. . .**

However, at the entrance of Agrabah, a certain brunet sighed under the scorching sun, "We may not have found a keyhole at the Coliseum, but we may, no, we will find one here." He said with his ever cheerful smile.

"That's the spirit. So, where to first?" Goofy asked the Keyblade wielder.

Donald hooked a feathered thumb at the giant castle, "It's bound to be at the biggest, most important place, you big palooka."

Sora crossed his arms, "I don't know. We found the one in that jungle behind the waterfall, and the one in Wonderland… was kind of obvious if I think about it."

The duck put his hands on his hips, "Since you crashed our ship in that jungle, I say we check the palace first."

Sora grinned, "Think we may find Naruto there? Knowing him, he must have gotten into trouble already."

Goofy fidgeted a bit, "I wouldn't want to be rude saying this, but I can see it happening."

Sora nodded, "Not to mention, he may have a lead to where Kairi is, and perhaps he already met Riku too."

From a roof, a certain white haired figure smiled

Riku felt glad that his friend was safe, but also worried for something, "Between you two it's hard to tell who gives me more trouble, Sora." He looked at where the Cave of Wonders was, "But knowing you two, he is ready to turn this world upside down and you will make a bigger mess."

He did look forward to it, but at the moment he had work to do, even if he didn't want to.

"Stop thief!" Steven shouted, running at the white haired lad with his shield and attempting to get it and Riku's face acquainted.

The taller lad side-stepped the charge, letting Steven fall down two stories, into a shocked Sora. And after seeing the boy fall, Alice and Terra were more than ready to give more than a piece of their mind.

Riku sighed, "I hate this job…"

 **LIGHT**

 **AND**

 **DARKNESS**

 **WILL**

 **FALL**

 **TO**

 **YOU**

 **. . .**

 **XXXXXX**

 **And that's my rap!**

 **If you wonder how things got so crazy with Riku, stay tuned for the next chapter where we take in what adventures Steven and the girls were in while Naruto's quest went as crazy as you'd expect.**

 **If possible, I want to end the Agrabah arc next chapter.**

 **And as you may have guessed, yes, Naruto has a new party member with Jasmine. Naruto's party has only six slots, him included, and as you may know if you've done your math correctly, there's one more coming. Whoever this last party member is, well, you shall wait and see.**

 **It's not Connie. I'm counting her and Steven as one party member when she arrives, considering how well they work as a duo and single entity. Like the Ice Climbers in Smash Bros, or Rei and Zen in Persona Q.**

 **For now, I think it's balanced well enough: Naruto's the battlemage, Steven is the guard-knight (and with Connie at his side you can imagine the added attack power), Alice is the white mage, Terra is the mage, Jasmine is the thief-like fighter, and the next party member will be the fire power.**

 **Swordslinger out!**


	7. Wishes of Grandeur

I OWN NOTHING

I am surprised no one calls me on my madness when I write this. Guess that shows how crazy Kingdom Hearts' storyline really is, or perhaps I'm even more out of touch with reality than Square Enix.

Quick note: I'll admit that I have skipped some scenes and left them to the imagination like some explanations and Sora dealing with Wonderland's heart. I may edit those chapters but so far no one's complained so I don't know whether or not to leave it as it is.

 **XXXXXX**

Wishes of Grandeur

 **FOOLS**

 **AND**

 **TOOLS**

 **FOR**

 **YOU**

 **MY**

 **KING**

While Naruto was having trouble risking his life to find a lamp, and with Jafar supposedly locked in place, the rest of the travelers were having a more enjoyable experience.

"And this is my collection of figurines, each magnificently crafted by very skilled artisans." The Sultan told the three kids that were left behind.

"I like this one." Steven said grabbing one of the toy animals at the pyramid the small man had by his throne.

The Sultan smiled, "It is one of my favorites too. It reminds me of my daughter's pet. Good old Rajah could use some manners, though."

The gem boy smiled, "So she's got a pet tiger? Cool, I got a pink lion. I managed to teach him a few tricks, so maybe I could help this Rajah to be a better tiger."

The small man clapped cheerfully, "Wonderful. What would your secret be then?"

Steven paused to think, "Well, I'd need a proper frozen biscuit."

"A frozen pastry?" the Sultan asked, thrilled by the concept, "That sounds wonderful and delicious."

Steven smiled, "It is."

The pudgy ruler nodded, "Well then, I shall bring Rajah here and see what you can do with him."

Alice and Terra for their part were enjoying the gardens, where a fountain gave birds a place to rest and bathe. The vivid green life all around them was like a temple of jade in the desert that the city was in. It was certainly baffling how the ruler had this much wealth on display while his subjects struggled so hard in the city. However, the Sultan didn't seem like a bad person, far from it actually.

He was perhaps best described as innocent and naïve, if one were nice. He seemed to care a lot for his subjects if his obvious concern for their wellbeing and his general friendliness towards them was any indication, and more importantly he seemed delighted to meet them all and look at their gear.

The blonde sighed and summoned her Keyblade, Lady Luck appearing in a beam of light, "It's weird…" she said, waving it around.

Terra tilted her head to the side, "What is it you're looking for?"

"Oh, my apologies. The thought just came to me all of a sudden." She admitted and smiled at the green haired magic user, "When we met our friend Sora and his crew, something beyond curious happened. His Keyblade reacted to the heart of the world and sealed it."

"So you're trying to find the heart of this world on your own to lock it away from the Heartless' grasp." Terra stated, no doubt in her mind or heart.

The princess nodded, "If I got this, I may be able to make Sora's job easier. I'll admit, part of me feels this admittedly guilty pleasure at being useful to my friends, no matter how briefly I've met you all."

Terra felt her cheeks gain a pink hue, "You consider me to be your friend already? I… don't know what to say but… thank you." she gave the younger girl a small smile which Alice returned.

"It's my pleasure to see you as an ally… And… as your friend."

Alice's pretty smile made Terra feel a little embarrassed, especially as the younger girl was truly happy to be her friend, "I… I won't lose though. He's very special, and… I won't let you have him without a fight… but, even so… As friends… I want to truly cherish you too. Is that… selfish?"

Alice warmly shook her head, her smile showing her innocence and sincerity, "Hardly, I want you to be my friend, because I was so lonely back in Wonderland, I had very little to do and oh so much time to wonder about where my friends were. I can't say I remember life before I came to Wonderland, but what I do recall was that it was very, very drab… A dreary life, without much to do, and with the problems of adulthood looming over my head. Being on this adventure with you, Steven, and dear Naruto, it has opened my eyes to the worlds beyond."

Terra looked at her feet, ' _She reminds me of Sabin, yet at the same not quite…_ '

Alice trailed a hand down Lady Luck, the Keyblade glimmering slightly and making her small smile widen, "With this, I can make things right. I can protect those I love, and I can do what Sora does as well. We'll save the Worlds, and then? Well… We'll see, won't we? I don't think though, that the worlds will stay separated, at least not with this Keyblade to open the doors between them."

Terra fumbled a bit in her mind but, with a slightly shy smile, retorted, "Or with Naruto to bring a mess."

Alice laughed, surprised at the joke from the timid green head, "Indeed, he really does bring some odd and chaotic excitement wherever he goes."

After a while of exploring the castle with no answer, Alice sighed and pocketed her Keyblade. Part of her felt disappointed, but another felt at a relative ease. If the keyhole to the world's heart wasn't there, then the dark vizier wouldn't be able to get his hands on it. That was some compensation.

"Poor guys." Riku said, resting with his back pressed on a pillar at the palace without the girls noticing him, "Sora actually has to get a girl to do his job, and girls make fun of Naruto." He chuckled and thought back to his meeting towards the blond, "He's either more naïve, or more thickheaded than Sora… With all that power he could find everyone, and…"

He took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly through his nose. What was wrong with him? He had seen Sora rejoice with his new friends, the duck and that odd dog thing. He had seen Naruto search for more people than just Kairi after his promise. He had seen them fight pointlessly while looking for the redhead girl. Maleficent knew where she was, she could give Kairi back oh so easily…

So why was he doubting her now? Her words, while venomous, soothed something in him. It made him feel at ease. No, it made him feel powerful. She gave him power, the ability to go to worlds to look for his loved ones. The green-skinned woman could use her melodious voice to put any infant, no matter how upset, to sleep.

And yet all it took for him to doubt that were a few words from the otherworldly friend he met in the most questionable of circumstances. A guy that had fought a traitor tooth and nail to bring him back alive even if said rogue element tried to kill him. Someone so desperate for kindness yet also so knuckleheaded that his actions could be nothing but heartfelt.

He still remembered those words, haunting him all the way even as Maleficent granted him more and more power.

Speak of the devil, "My child, you appear to be quite indecisive with my presents."

He closed his eyes and remained where he was, "Heh, I was wondering when you'd show up. What is it this time?" he tried to be polite, but he also made it known she was not in charge.

She smiled sweetly at him, "Jafar has to be terminated one way or another, dear child. His lust for power has made him weak to the darkness he thought was at his mercy. However," her eyes glinted for a second, "This lovely place hides a treasure I'm certain Jafar has wanted to get his hands on. Unfortunately, she is not in here because of his own greed blinding him to how much power he really had."

"What would that be?" he asked.

Maleficent waved a hand at the gardens, "One as precious as the little friend that boy Naruto made. A Princess of Heart."

Riku looked at Alice, "So that other girl, Jasmine… Well, next time you want to find these girls, you may have to follow Naruto." He had to admit, the blond had an uncanny ability to find the oddest people.

"And someone else." She motioned to the girl in street clothes looking around the palace and grinning at the fact no guard would harm her, "A very powerful girl. Her magic could be useful, in your hands."

It didn't take long for him to connect the dots, "You want me to steal magic?"

"Do as you wish, power is power, but it might be useful for now… I would however suggest something important." Riku was already preparing to leave, but he paused as Maleficent's calm smile disappeared, a serious and beyond intense frown crossing her statuesque face, "If you enrage him, if you foolishly tempt the monster that exists in his heart, then I will not help you as he devours you with his darkness. That boy is our king, treat him as if he will one day rule you and all the Darkness. It won't be long before he finds that cave's true secrets before that fool of Jafar."

Riku was already gone by the time she had finished speaking with a final comment, "So you knew all of this and kept it from him… It's like you wanted him to betray you."

Maleficent smiled as she watched the boy leave, but then turned her head with irritation displayed across her face. There was a damnable feline licking her paws on an alcove, and looking smugly at her, "Truly, I can understand why Lady Kaguya loathes you so terribly much… Mirage."

The cat let loose a soft meow, before she leapt off of the alcove and strutted away, her tail held above her back.

A burst of green and black flames enveloped Maleficent before she too made her exit, her thoughts straying towards her errant king and what he would do to Jafar.

She felt no empathy or mercy for a traitor such as him, call her old fashioned but she respected the linage of a King. Naruto was the one chosen by Darkness itself to rule it, she would respect that and as Kaguya was his queen she would become his advisor, and rule over the worlds she wished to. A king such as him, she mused, commanded loyalty from his subjects but earned it more than he demanded it.

Riku for his part had different thoughts, "What worth is power if I may fight my friends for something that petty?" he asked thin air with a casual shrug, "Darn it, Naruto. I better not end up saying cheesy things like you." he chuckled at the idea and walked into the palace.

To think of the blond as a king… It was a funny idea, to be certain, but he could see some of Sora in the blond. The brunet was someone Riku saw as more than a brother, even if he wouldn't admit it. Seeing two similar goofs trying hard to fight for others… that was a funny but endearing idea of what a king should be in his mind.

"Who are you?" Riku felt his bones threatening to jump out of his skin when a curious Steven noticed him, "Wait, white hair…" he stared at the green eyed lad intently.

Without much time to think, Riku used his only brilliant stroke of inspiration, which was to be his laidback self, "Can't you tell who I am by looking at me?" he asked casually, keeping his smile, "I knew Sora and Naruto were the kind of people to find the oddest of friends, even more considering how far they would go for them. You must know of me."

Steven tapped his foot on the floor, pondering the ideas in his mind to associate the boy with one of them, "Ok, white hair, green eyes, and tries too hard to sound and be cool."

"Hey… Sora said that, didn't he?" he was about to call the kid on his choice of words, but something in his mind pinned Sora as the culprit.

Steven beamed, "That settles it, you're Riku, you're-"

"Meow…" both boys turned to a certain cat, the small boy recognizing it almost instantly.

"You!" he summoned his shield, "You're that creepy cat that made Naruto hurt others!"

Said feline smiled, "I knew there was a reason why I stayed here…" her eyes glowed and she lunged at the boys. Riku summoned his dark blade, lashing at the cruel woman in her cat form, "So dull." Mirage stated flatly, placing her paws on the bat-wing shaped sword before leaping off it towards Steven, "The darkness could consume your hearts all too easy."

Steven tried to smash her face with his shield to knock her out, but watched in shock and horror how her claws sunk into its surface. With Mirage latched on his shield, a brilliant move of unconventional strategizing sparked in his mind, and thus he ran at the nearest pillar to make a cat sandwich.

But she was no normal cat, so he shouldn't have been surprised when she jumped off his shield, bounced off the pillar, and landed behind him. In a flash of green light, both boys were face to face with Mirage's true form, and could feel the evil coursing through her veins, pulsing in her dark heart. There was so much malice in her it was like being in a room filled with poisonous gas.

The air was so thick with danger that their own breathing seemed to paralyze them.

And even then, they stood their ground, "I'm not letting you make him feel like he has to protect us." Steven said, his voice filled with determination, "This time, I'll be able to protect everyone!"

Riku smiled, "Well said!" he stood beside the boy, "Sorry lady, but we've got idiots worth fighting for."

Mirage snarled, waving her hands at the boys, "Is that so? Don't you mean you want to protect your king, boy?"

Riku's eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about?"

"The King of Darkness." Mirage explained, "A born ruler of such caliber usually has two paths in life. They can either submit to the darkness and spread its power across the worlds or, as you will soon find out, need the help of warriors of the light… to grant them true mercy."

Steven glared, but being him he was actually pouting, "I don't think your mercy is what we'd call compassion." He really wanted to thank Connie for expanding his vocabulary with amusing books.

Mirage smiled wider, "You don't get it, do you? For someone like him, marked by darkness, it's kill or be killed." Her grin split her face as it took a darker tone, "There's no third option. You've already seen his eyes change. You saw him submit once to darkness. How long do you think it'll be before there's no turning back?"

Riku stared at her. Was she for real? Was the blond actually condemned to such a destiny without hope?

Was it all for nothing? Was- "Then we'll find a third option!" Steven yelled at her, charging once again.

Mirage sighed, "Well, my one act of kindness is spat on. I shouldn't be surprised." With a casual wave of her hand, Steven was sent flying against a wall, his body bouncing back straight to the floor. Seeing this, Riku charged at the woman, who merely cackled as she held up her hand, suspending him in the air with green magic, "Did you really think you were in my league, boys? Did you think pretty words would make you stronger? No. Sadly for you, power is what rules all worlds, and I've got it in spades."

Riku found his face slammed to the ground, making him hate the feline woman even more, "D-Don't you dare… talk about my friend like that…"

Mirage's eyes popped wide open, before a cruel laugh escaped her, "Hah-hahaha! Are you serious? Do you think that boy would be your friend, or hold the darkness's future king in such high regard as he does now if he knew what you two are capable of?" she paused, a grin coming to her face, "Actually…"

Riku was flung into the garden's fountain. He would have cursed, but found the water rushing to his lungs to be a problem. So getting up, gasping and coughing as he tried to get air desperately into his system, he saw Alice and Terra stare at him wide-eyed. And he was about to talk, if not for Steven's voice.

"Stop him, girls! He's a thief!" the boy said, his eyes briefly flashing green before the light disappeared.

"I hate cats." Riku groaned while the two girls chased after him.

 **ALL**

 **WORLDS**

 **WILL**

 **BE**

 **YOURS**

 **AS**

 **YOU**

 **LIE**

 **IN**

 **MY**

 **EMBRACE**

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **. . .**

After a long and rather insane chase through Agrabah, Riku needed a breath. He knew it after dodging light spells, elemental magic, and a certain shield used as a Frisbee.

And down below on the streets, while he managed to climb up a building to get away from the attacks, he spotted Sora.

At the same time, Steven spotted him, "Stop, thief!" the boy shouted, charging at him with his shield like it were a battering ram. Riku suppressed the urge to grunt as he side-stepped the charge and let the boy fall on top of Sora. Poor Steven could only flail his arms in the air to try to remain up before plummeting down on top of the brunet key wielder.

He finally came to face with Terra and Alice, the former readying several fireballs with his name on them, and the latter holding her Keyblade Lady Luck in a fencing stance, and with her cloak gone. Riku had to admit, he did envy Naruto if the blond happened to travel with such a cute girl, not like Terra were unattractive, quite the contrary, but she wasn't showing her midriff like Alice did in a belly-dancing outfit.

He stopped envying the blond when he had to deflect the fireballs and parry a thrust from the inexperienced but now very dedicated swordswoman, "I'd ask how did you get a Keyblade, but I'd rather ask if you heard of me from Sora or Naruto." He jumped back, keeping his distance like when he sparred with Sora.

Alice dashed forward, throwing three simultaneous thrusts before trying to diagonally slash the boy. She found her blade stopped dead in its tracks at the last moment, "Why would we believe you?"

He was about to speak, but cursed when noticing a cloud above him. Alice had already leapt back, giving him a split second to roll away from the lightning that would have fried him.

Even Terra looked stern, "Sorry, but after everything that's happened to our friends we can't afford to trust you like that."

Riku stared blankly at them, before rubbing his head with his free hand at some odd realization, "Huh, I had some déjà vu… Is this what Naruto felt when I questioned him about the raft?"

"Wait… are you Riku?" Alice asked.

The boy threw his hands up, "Finally, someone listens!" he turned to the princess, "Yes. Sadly, your friend thinks otherwise. Speaking of him, I should go now."

"What do you mean, don't you want to see your friends?" Terra told him.

The albino smiled softly, "Sorry, it's for the best." And with a high jump he was off.

The two girls then snapped out of their trance when remembering their small friend. They looked down to see Steven rubbing his head, while beneath the boy was Sora, sprawled on the ground and looking dazed. Donald and Goofy were trying to figure out what happened while the former helped the boys up and the latter stared at the roof the boy fell from.

"Steven?" Sora asked when he finally managed to make out his surroundings, and notice something green and yellow above, "Alice and Terra too?"

"Ow, what a landing…" the shield wielder mumbled, his eyes glazed, "W-Where's the thief and…" and, like a lightning bolt had zapped his nerves directly, his hand shot to his cheek, slapping himself to consciousness, "Riku! Cat lady! Bad news! Help!"

Donald grabbed his staff and smacked the boy on the top of his head, "Calm down!" he quacked loudly, tapping his foot impatiently as the boy rubbed the lump growing in his curly black hair.

"You don't need to be so mean, Donald. Besides, he's already hit his head hard enough." Goofy said, trying to calm his easily irritated friend.

"I remember!" Steven shouted, "At the palace, Riku and I met the cat that turned Naruto into a Heartless!"

The newly arrived threw took the news rather well, "WHAT?!" with loud screams that made the whole city tremble.

A couple moments later, as Sora and everyone finally made their way to the palace, they heard all of Steven's story just when they arrived to the entrance, "Now he's got yellow eyes because of that cat lady. She's mean, like beyond mean. It's like she invented mean." The boy finally concluded.

Sora scratched his spiky haired head, "So somehow Naruto's at a magic cave with a princess, and Riku is around here." He took a deep breath, "Ok, while I'm glad that Riku's safe, it bothers me that he wants to be alone. Naruto met him at Wonderland, he even told us of everything that happened before we went to Traverse Town, and Riku's still the same."

Alice nodded, "I do believe he is still your cherished friend. Perhaps he has reasons for such secrecy."

Goofy had a sad frown at hearing that, "But why would he have to?"

The duck spoke next, "I'll tell you." he quickly waddled before them and pointed at the group, "That cat woman said so herself, your friend Naruto is going to become a dark king."

Sora was quick to speak back, "Do you actually believe her?! Come on, Donald. Can someone like him really lose that easily to darkness?"

The duck frowned, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, "You've heard so yourself. He was consumed by darkness, and now his eyes are like those of a Heartless. Maybe he shouldn't fight at all."

Goofy caught on what his friend was saying, "You mean to say he shouldn't be near darkness, that it?"

The duck nodded, but Terra had something in her mind, "Even if you say that, do you think he'd stop fighting after what he promised?"

Donald raised a feathered finger, but quickly brought it down, "I guess you have a point."

Sora finally decided to drop any pretense he had, "I've been meaning to ask this, but…" he turned to the trio that accompanied his whiskered friend, "Oh, Alice… aren't you a little cold?"

Said blonde covered her assets as best she could with her arms, "I-It wasn't by choice! Terra's magic granted me an outfit to blend in, and this is the result!"

Sora scratched his head, "Where you trying to infiltrate a belly-dancing club?"

Donald's feathered hand came right to his face's aid, covering his eyes from what he was seeing with a small smacking sound. Steven was simply confused, given that he had to actually reach puberty to begin with. Terra blushed herself, feeling guilty that her magic ended up causing her friend no end of shame with that outfit.

"I didn't meant to do it like that…" the green head confessed, "I was trying to give Alice an outfit fit for her, like a princess's…"

Steven pondered, "Well, seeing what Jasmine's wearing I think you did a good job."

Goofy, who had been silent, finally grabbed the brunet and walked forward, "Why don't we just head to the palace, fellas?"

Alice mentally thanked the dog creature, happy that her dignity wouldn't suffer any more blows.

 **YOU**

 **SHALL**

 **LEARN**

 **OF**

 **MY**

 **MIGHT**

 **IN**

 **THE**

 **HANDS**

 **OF**

 **MY**

 **KING**

Finally, the group made their way to the palace and stopped at the doors, where a voice greeted them, "I see you have arrived."

Alice, Terra, and Steven all got themselves ready for battle, "What're you doing here?!" Steven inquired, eyes narrowed at the man, "You're grounded, mister!"

The vizier burst in mad laughter, making the other three world travelers ready their weapons, "Did you think the Sultan's word ever held any meaning to me?! Street rats like you all certainly are amusing! I may even play with you."

Sora narrowed his eyes at the man, "Count again, pal! All six of us can and will make you regret those words!"

Jafar finally turned to the weapon the boy held, sneering, "Ah yes, the Keyblade warrior… A thorn to my associates' side." the grin that grew after he said those words nearly split his face in two, "I won't even need the blue buffoon to deal with you." he raised his staff and from it the group could see fire.

Acting on a hunch and feeling their hearts resonating as one, both Steven and Goofy stood forward, pressing their shields together when a stream of flames erupted from the gold cobra's mouth. The two guardians grunted when the flames were too much and they had to back away. Jafar extinguished the flames, letting them know he was playing around while his smirk grew.

Alice aimed Lady Luck at him, "I sense great darkness in you, hungering for more like it's trying to devour your own being. How can a man like you sink this low?"

Jafar snarled, "Silence! You have no idea what I'm capable of now! Then again, you won't need to." His grin sickened the two girls present, "After all, I need a proper queen when I take the throne from that fool in this palace. Sadly, Princess Jasmine is, along that blond pest of your friend, rather… deep in trouble."

Alice's eyes widened for a split second, before she glared at the man, "What did you do to our friends?!"

Jafar laughed and waved his staff around once again, blasting the otherworldly travelers back with little effort, "As I've said before, you won't be concerned by that. Now, you could be useful for a great cause. You could easily go with the Heartless…" by his will several Bandits and Fat Bandits appeared, "…or you and your friend could be more than a princess and a random magician."

The group got up, all ready to fight, Terra actually glared at the vizier, "Never would I lose to a man like you."

He was already far gone in his laughing, his eyes seemingly staring up at nothing before he began yelling in between hacking laughs, drool almost pouring from his mouth.

"HEARTLESS ATAHAHAHA HACKAKAKAA ATTAAAAACKKKAAHAHAHAHA!"

The heartless were all too eager to get straight to the slaughter, two Bandits bum-rushed Alice and Terra until Steven slammed them both with his shield. Whirling his weapon around in a shiny arc of energy that left the monsters stunned the two managed to get some distance from the monsters.

Digging his shield into the ground he yelled out, "Stand behind me!" The shield expanding into a massive wall that blocked a trio of fireballs shot from a Fat Bandit's mouth. The creature rushed forward in a stampede, only to be met with a blast of light, Lady Luck glowing as Alice swiped her hand over it in a dueler's stance.

Darting forward with one hand held behind her back, the tip of the Keyblade pierced a Bandit through its turban, sending the vile creature howling back before it exploded into a small heart. The girl took a deep breath to even her breath, knowing she had to keep a clear head in this battle or else horrible things could happen to her. Not to mention, if the darkness wanted her, she wouldn't be able to help her friends.

Jafar was still laughing even when he was blasted by a howling ice spell courtesy of a green head commanding it with "Blizzaga!"Terra's hands glowed as she waved them through the air elegantly, her spell-weaving causing lightning to fall with a call of "Thundaga!" and fire to shoot out with "Firaga!"

The powerful spells met the vizier's face.

And weren't blocked at all, they simply exploded against him and blew him back, it was then that Alice cried out as she saw what had happened to him. Over his chest was the Heartless symbol, and as his body shifted and warped, a rumbling sound making the palace shake. Sora managed to get close to the group and could only gape with Donald and Goofy at Jafar getting up slowly.

With a wave of his hand, his clothes were repaired, and he was snarling, "You filthy… filthy rats!" he screamed, stomping his foot several times on the ground. More Heartless appeared and started to swarm the group, who took readied themselves for this next horde.

Off to the side a certain red parrot gulped as he saw the man's dark minions fighting the kids and the two animal warriors, "Yeah, he's lost it! Time to pack!" he flew off to the man's chambers, looking for his belongings, and he soon started to fill a suitcase somehow small enough to be his size, "Let's see, should I take this picture or do I look too fat on it?"

The parrot would have pondered on it, had a black portal not appeared at his side and a figure he didn't expect came out of it.

"Figures, I want to go to his quarters, and he's not here." Naruto grumbled after he, Aladdin and Jasmine exited the Dark Corridor.

They heard a commotion outside, and quickly ran to the source, with Jasmine gasping, "Is that a Heartless?! How can they be so big?!"

She could see it, on the cobra's head was the symbol the dark creatures used. Naruto clenched his jaw and did something both extremely brave, and absolutely stupid considering he had no chakra left. Seeing him, Aladdin and Jasmine nodded briefly before doing the same, halfway realizing that it was incredibly dangerous.

Slamming his cane down, dark red smoke erupted from it and took form over the man. Soon the gang were looking at a tower of smoke rise higher and higher until a hiss came out. In shock and horror, the six warriors of light watched Jafar turning into a giant red and black cobra with pure hatred in its eyes.

Steven shuddered, "A snake?! Why did it have to be a snake?! I have seen enough snakes with Onion already!"

"Ssssilence, you insssufferable child!" the giant cobra hissed, its maw easily large enough to swallow them whole, and its fangs producing a thick poison.

The large cobra snapped his jaws at the child, and reared his head back, ready to bite into his flesh and fill him with deadly toxins with his fangs, hoping to see the oh so powerful King of Darkness break from- "Yo!" The Jafar-cobra felt weight on the top of its head, which slammed it down. The weight came from three pair of feet which firmly planted themselves on its scaly skull.

Naruto jumped off, and got quite a surprise, "Sora!"

The brunet blinked, just as shocked, "Naruto!"

Steven raced to the street rat's side to help him up, "Aladdin!"

Jasmine stared at her fellow princess and the green head, "Oh, greetings… Alice and Terra, right?"

As the confusion of what happened started to grow, something else started to boil until the pressure exploded with a loud quack, "Stop!" Donald shouted, drawing everyone's attention to him, "Can we just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!"

Goofy tapped his shoulder in less than two seconds, "Oh, Donald ol' buddy…"

The duck slumped his shoulders as the gigantic snake rose up, eyes filled with pure hatred.

Magic and weapons readied themselves, "It sssseems the king dared to return." Jafar hissed, venom literally and figuratively rolling off his tongue, "All that power, and you still find no one to bow to you. Have you found no one below you?"

The blond replied with his incomplete Keyblade aimed at the reptile, "Then take a knee, you oversized venomous worm!"

"Nice one, kid!" a cheerful voice came out, while muffled, from around them. The newly arrived trio recognized it quickly as Genie's.

"You ssstay out of this!" the large serpent snapped before lashing at the heroes with its tail.

Aladdin flipped over it, followed by Sora and Naruto with the former performing a dodge roll and the latter . Alice for her part put forward her Keyblade while Steven stood by her side, his bubble and her light magic forming a shield that took the strike for them. Terra merely hovered around the strike, getting some needed altitude. Donald for his part, given his small size, had no trouble ducking the strike, pun unintended. Goofy's shield took the full force of the attack, but the dog didn't seem that bothered by it.

And, to everyone's surprise, Jasmine's wish showed to be worth making when she not only side-stepped the lashing scaly appendage, but lashed at it. Her hand flipped the handle of her dagger, gripping it in an inverse hold, and soon she had both cartwheeled away from the towering cobra and left a couple of scars on it, making it hiss angrily.

Jafar snarled as best as his new face allowed him to, "Impudent girl! I am beyond that meek king! Or do you think you're better off at hiss side?!" The dusky skinned princess didn't hesitate to give her rebuttal, throwing her dagger at the large snake and nailing it squarely in the nose, "You little-"

"In just one day I've come to care more about him than you if I had ever spent living my entire life at your side!" she cut the reptile off, eyes full not of hatred but sheer will-power. Jafar's hatred seemed to build more and more. The greedy snake showed signs of being ready to lose his mind even further. And that is why when he didn't our nine heroes knew something was wrong, oh so very wrong.

After the cobra used its tail to yank the blade off its nose, the sound of struggling reached the nine warriors' ears when, to their horror, Sadira hovered down. While that would have been a relief, the two creatures floating above her weren't. The black cloaks with red clouds made Naruto's insides burn even if he knew the Puppeteers weren't actually from Akatsuki.

In another cloud of crimson smoke, Jafar returned to his usual self, while the crew could see the street girl's limbs hanging loosely on the air, held by threads.

The dark and megalomaniacal vizier grinned, holding the lamp in one hand and aiming his cane at them with the other, "I see you recognize the situation you're in, My Liege." He mocked the blond, trying to taunt him, "I may have lost my temper back there, but we can still solve this like gentlemen. Maleficent wants you as the ruler of darkness, and I want this entire world all for myself and a proper queen."

"We're not giving anyone, now let go of my girlfriend!" Aladdin yelled at the skinny dark man.

"Jafar, have you finally gotten a plan to work?!" a loud nasal voice that Naruto remembered as the one that got him in trouble when he first arrived had revealed itself, along a red parrot.

But the vizier ignored his bird companion, "Hand me the princesses, boy. Any further show of defiance and the little street rat here won't be in such good hands any longer." By his will he two Puppeteers rocketed off into the sky, holding a terrified Sadira above the ground. "Besides, I wasn't lying when saying Princess Jasmine would be better off with me than with you, Your Majesty."

Naruto sneered, "What're you talking about, you creep?"

Jafar gave a short laugh, "Mwahahaha… I see, so you'd rather have them around. Well, with them so close it'd be so easy for you to take and devour such powerful hearts."

Naruto's blood froze, but his glare heated up, "Why do you keep talking like you know what I'm like?! I'm not losing to you or the darkness!"

Jafar laughed again, this time louder, "Ahahahahahahaha! If I could waste a wish, I may have asked to see your face when you are proven wrong, but I may have to wait for that." He snapped his fingers, and the nine warriors held Sadira screaming as her body plummeted to the ground, until the Puppeteers decided to lift her up at the last minute, "But now we have now important matters to attend to since next time my Heartless may not be as quick to pull up your little friend."

The terrified look on the girl's face as she was lifted with tears running down her face… it was too much for anyone to take, "Tch…" Naruto felt it, the darkness trying to envelop him in its embrace as his hatred for the man grew and grew. It was like meeting at Orochimaru once again, but while that traitorous snake made Naruto sick because of his antics and the means in which he tried to achieve a goal, Jafar only had the latter factor of being a scheming slithering snake that disgusted the now yellow eyed blond.

"I can't really leave you two alone, can I?"

Naruto and Sora sucked in a sharp breath of air when they heard that voice. In a flash, the Heartless were gone, and Sadira was released. Jafar didn't have enough time to curse when the green head flew at her and summoned the winds. Three miniature tornadoes spun around the brunette, softening her fall and letting her fall into the waiting arms of her boyfriend, who didn't hesitate to rush to save her.

Sora smiled, running forward with Naruto close behind, "Sorry, but it seems you're out of tricks!"

Jafar saw red, "IMPOSSIBLE! I WON'T LOSE! NOT TO FILTH LIKE YOU! I WILL RULE THIS WORLD… IT'S MINE! ALL MINEMINEMINEMINEMINE-"

"Who cares?!" Naruto spun in the air like a buzz-saw, his Keyblade smacking the man in the face with the flat side and knocking him ass over tea-kettle without fanfare. "Who really cares?! This world is free, like all others! You're just another power hungry creep, like all the others who try to control everything like spoiled brats! I won't let you harm Jasmine, the Sultan, Aladdin, Sadira, or anyone else!"

Leaping down, he slammed the point of the blade against Jafar's staff, a magical barrier popping into place and cracking slightly as the blond wailed on it brutally.

"How dare you, you dull boy?! You, everyone here is beneath me!" the vizier roared, trying to keep the boy back and watching in growing horror as his friends rushed to help him.

And it was then that Aladdin, seeing the lamp, had a stroke of genius, "You can never be above someone, Jafar!" the lad said, grinning widely, "The Genie has far more power than you could ever hope to match! He can take your powers away just as easily as he gave Jasmine the ability to fight along us!"

Jafar howled in pure rage, just a pure scream of simple hatred which fueled the darkness that was already consuming his mind. He slammed down his cane again, summoning more Heartless while he, in another cloud of smoke, disappeared from view. Of course, now with ten heroes, and Terra quickly handing Jasmine her sword without a second's hesitation so the desert princess could fight, the dark beings didn't last long. It wasn't long before Jasmine was handing the green head her weapon back.

Terra shook her head, though, "You can keep it. I think it'll do you more good, and I'm better at casting spells."

The princess smiled, "I'll keep it safe until we're done, I promise."

But there was something very troublesome, and Sadira made it known when she looked at her boyfriend, "What did you do…?"

Aladdin smiled, "I gave him a weakness. Genies have to obey everyone who has their lamp, don't they?"

Naruto beamed, "Aladdin, you're awesome and don't ever let anyone say otherwise!" and then it just downed on him, "Wait, if he's a genie…"

"We have to get his lamp as soon as possible." Aladdin said, knowing there was a drawback to his plan, "That's the only way we can defeat him for good."

"It doesn't mean I like the idea." Naruto grumbled.

Sora finally walked to his whiskered and now yellow-eyed friend, "Can you tell us what happened?" he did have to blink, Naruto's new eyes were a bit unsettling.

"We better do so along the way." Jasmine said, walking into the palace, "Jafar must be at the throne room, and we must stop him."

On a roof, sitting on the edge and accompanied by a red parrot, Riku let out a sigh of relief, "You're lucky that Maleficent doesn't see any use in your boss." He told Iago.

The red bird perched itself on the boy's shoulder, "Yeah, yeah. Hey, listen kid. I know you want to help and all but listen, your foxy friend is someone that will one day become your king or your enemy."

Riku nodded, "So I've heard."

Iago shook his head, "You don't get it, kiddo! Listen, I've hung around evil wizards for quite some time. I practically have a degree on evil after becoming Jafar's sidekick! It wasn't fun to play the stupid bird for stinking crackers, but it let me know a few things, like what it means to be the King of Darkness."

Riku's eyes widened, and he turned to the red parrot, "Start talking."

The bird groaned, "Why can't I ever hear a please?" he shrugged his wings, "Well, consider it a freebie since you helped me out of that tower."

"I just wanted whatever information Jafar could have on Naruto, and you said you knew. Prove to me it was a good choice." Riku wasn't one for threats, but Sora and Naruto were his friends, and he didn't want to see one hurt by the other for whatever their title meant.

"The title of King is pure rubbish. A king commands, kid." He said, but while he sounded as cynical as ever there was a layer of fear in his voice. "The King of Darkness is more like a vessel for all of the universe's darkness. I mean pure and utter dark lord stuff. Think that flea-bitten feline of Mirage is mean? Well, she is! But I bet she's probably dumb enough to think she has a chance at controlling the King… Because once your friend gets his proverbial crown, he will do everything to turn every light into darkness. Want to know how?"

Riku felt his body tense, it was like he had to use all of his willpower to nod and speak, "You've gotten this far in your explanation, go on."

Iago shuddered, "When he's at the throne, he will personally rip and devour the purest of hearts." He stared at the palace, "Maleficent warned Jafar about the princess and how she was best as a snack, but even he and I can tell there's something she's hiding about it. I bet you all my tail feathers that after he's done devouring those girls' hearts… Well, let's say you'd best be far away from him."

Blood nearly frozen, Riku spoke up, "How do we stop it?"

Iago snorted, "Stop it?! Are you kidding?! He's already in the darkness' grasp! Only way to stop it would be…" he dragged a feather across his neck, making the answer quite obvious.

"I have to warn him." Riku said, about to give chase until Iago cut him off.

"Whoa there, boy! Listen, do you think your friend would take well to that?! Darkness feeds on negative emotions! If that whiskered doofus knew that his fate is to grab those near him and use their bones to clean his teeth, how do you think he'll react?! Do you think he'll shrug it off like he's been doing because no one's told him all the details yet, or that he'll lose it?! Because I know what I'm betting for!"

Riku ground his teeth, "There has to be a way, there just has to…"

"If I were you…" Iago started, landing on his shoulder once again, "I'd ask him what place he'd like to be buried in."

The albino glared at him, "I am seriously considering to leave you to burn at the desert."

Iago gulped, "H-Hey, you wanted answers and that's what I'm giving you!"

The boy sighed and pondered his next move.

 **MY**

 **TOUCH**

 **WILL**

 **BE**

 **ALL**

 **YOU**

 **NEED**

"M-Master, wait, are you…" Genie tried to make sense, but the vizier's hand fastened around his throat, "Y-Yes, you're sure…" the blue man asked, his face growing bluer.

Jafar was livid, and on the hall to the throne room all guards had been turned into statues with their faces frozen in horror. A large tiger tried to pounce on the dark magician, but a blast of magic quickly turned it into a cub. The doors to the throne had been blasted to bits, and the poor Sultan had been dressed as a buffoon and forced to kneel before the man he once trusted.

"You heard me, you bumbling fool! Make me the most powerful genie to ever exist!"

"B-But…" the genie found his windpipe crushed tighter than before, "A-As you… wish…"

Unbeknown to the greedy vizier, Mirage had never left the palace. She was simply enjoying the sight from her hiding spot, "And here comes the king to claim his prize." She nearly purred as the blond raced towards the throne room.

The gang arrived, passing over more Heartless through the large palace, taking out Shadows, Soldiers, Bandits, Fat Bandits, living vases, and of course Puppeteers who tried to possess them only to regret it dearly. They stopped as the blue man finally made Jafar's wish come true. The vizier's body glowed a deep red before he transformed into a gigantic genie with his skin colored a deep red, with glowing yellow eyes glaring in pure rage at the group. Over his chest was the Heartless Emblem in all of its dark glory, making the group gulp as he didn't seem to need a lamp either

"I'm not that good at plans, but I think I could have come up with something better than making him more powerful." Naruto said cynically to Aladdin.

The young man nodded, "I know, but this is our chance! Get the lamp!" he shouted before Jafar sank his fingers to the ground, grabbed it, and swiftly tossed a huge chunk of the floor at them.

Naruto and Sora nodded to each other, the two Keyblade wielders leapt up, the brunet boy doing so and showing he had gained some muscle in his arms when he gripped his weapon with all his might. Working in near perfect tandem, they slammed the boulder right back at Jafar who howled in pain when it struck him.

"You filthy street rats!" He was too far gone in his darkness, and was barely able to control his admittedly impressive stores of power, if his haphazardly thrown attacks were any indication. "You filthy brat! You're no king of mine! You're nothing but a puppet to the darkness! I rule over it, while you will be nothing more than a pawn, while I'm the true ruler of this world!"

As he screamed filled with so much rage he should have looked sickened by it, the heroes had to avoid everything he threw at them. Steven was glad of his bubble shield, but not as much as he wanted whenever a spell hit it and started to crack it. Without wasting much time, he raced to the one he saw needed his help the most, Sadira. The street girl used her own sand magic to form walls, and was more than happy to see the small boy at her side when his shield was thrown at a nasty fireball aimed at her.

Jasmine was glad for having Terra's sword, running low and weaving around the magic attacks, trying to find an opening but ultimately having to retreat when lighting started to rain around her. Speaking of the green head, Terra tried to counter fire with fire, lightning, and ice. Alice herself used her own light spells to fight back, orbs of light flying from Lady Luck and colliding with the genie's spells. Donald helped the blonde girl, immediately noticing she wasn't the most skilled, and Goofy stood by his friend's side with his shield stopping and deflecting the attacks.

"How do you do that?" asked the surprised princess at the dog's side.

Goofy smiled, "This shield's blessed by King Mickey, it doesn't matter what anyone throws at me, I'll keep everyone safe with it."

Naruto, Sora and Aladdin were having a tad more difficult task dodging the spells, "What're we doing now?" Sora asked, clutching his Keyblade and shooting a fireball of his own at another.

Aladdin spoke up, "We have to find his lamp, that's the only way to beat him."

"I'm starting to take back the nice things I said about you." Naruto grumbled as he slashed a fireball aimed to his face, using his hood to shield his face from the heat and light when he knocked it off the air.

"Enough!" Jafar yelled, his voice rumbling the heavens. With a snap of his fingers, all ten combatants found themselves hovering in the air, with their wrists and ankles suspended in the air by the evil genie's magic, "You… You dare fight me?! Someone with true unlimited power to change the cosmos to his will?! And you?! You of everyone?!" he glared at Naruto, his gigantic face inches from Naruto's body, "Stop fooling around, child! You've changed, and you will change again! It doesn't matter what you say or do when your destiny was written by those higher than you!"

Naruto spat, saliva slobbering the genie's face and making Jafar howl in rage before, to everyone's horror, he punched the blond. Being a giant genie, it was easy for the red evil man's fist to sink the whiskered boy's body on the floor into a crater, with a smaller crater inside it shaped like the boy's body. The ten heroes of light watched their friend's motionless body, it didn't even twitch.

Jafar huffed, "So that was the King of Darkness… how fittingly pathetic…"

"Jafar!" Jasmine screamed at him, tears in her eyes, "I will never, ever forgive you! I always knew you were vile, but how can you kill someone without blinking!?"

The genie smirked, "It's simple…" he raised his fist again, "Like this!" And he slammed his fist on Naruto's unmoving body again, getting Alice's heart to feel like a rock as it stopped beating.

Steven groaned as he struggled to break free, "Stop it! Stop it! He can't even fight, so why-"

The genie turned to him, "I am feeling generous, boy. That is why I killed that dumb witch's lord." He sneered, "Maleficent thought this kid would surpass me? I'd like to see her face now… But there are more important matters to attend to." He turned to face the two princesses and the green head, "I am looking for a fitting queen, after all. So choose now, Princess Jasmine. Love me, or your friends will die."

"Y-You…"

Jafar's eyes widened and he turned to look at the crater, only to find there was no body in it.

"How did he-"

"Looking for me?!" Naruto roared right back into the howling genie's face, the darkness exploding around him and becoming a perfectly controlled aura of pure black energy.

From his hiding spot Riku observed this and gasped as the blond's body seemed to change, a black energy crown forming over his head briefly if the lad's green eyes didn't play tricks on him. It was only because he saw the blond move that he didn't act, but had Naruto remained where he was… the albino would have stopped only when the corrupted man had stopped moving.

The blond was also currently sitting at the throne, which made Jafar snap, "What do you think you're doing?! That throne is mine and mine alone!"

Naruto snapped, "You're not a king, you're just an entitled overgrown brat playing to be one!" and filling the evil genie with pure terror, he held a black lamp which Jafar found very familiar, gasping and whirling around he could only look horrified as Naruto loudly wished, "Jafar! For my first wish, I want you to return everything to how it was before you destroyed it!"

"My… My body, why?!" Jafar's hand rose by itself and pointed at the ruined palace before everything was put into its proper place.

"Jafar! My second wish! I want you to tell me where the Keyhole to this world is, so Alice and Sora can close it properly!" Jafar had no choice but to point far off to the Cave of Wonders, a glowing light trail shooting out and showing the exact way to the Keyhole within.

"W-Why?!" the crimson genie growled.

Naruto aimed the lamp at the now truly heartless man, "Jafar! For my third and final wish! I want you… to remain trapped in this lamp to the end of time! And to remain forever locked inside no matter who or what tries to free you!" His wish made the genie howl in fear and anger as he begun whirling around the lamp, a whirlpool of energy sucking him in piece by piece.

"N-No! Why must I lose to a filthy rat?!" the red giant screamed as he got sucked into his permanent black prison.

"Because I'm no rat…" Naruto started with a grin as Jafar was fully inside the lamp, his free hand pulling down his hood and revealing blood on his face from a wound on his forehead, "I'm your king now."

When he said that, his friends were finally let down, and as soon as they were, Jasmine, Alice and Terra were about to run and hug him, had they not noticed that all three had the same idea in mind. While they quickly exchanged glances, Sora went to his friend and gave him a crushing hug.

"I can't believe you're still alive!" Sora cheered.

"I-If you don't let go… I might not be…" Naruto groaned, trying hard not to cry. Sora let him go with an apologetic smile, "I can't believe I'm saying this… but I'm glad I got used to Sakura's punches… I think even Granny hits harder than Jafar did."

Sora arched a brow, "She must be one heck of a grandma."

"I may be delighted to meet her." Purred a voice.

 **HAVE**

 **YOU**

 **FINALLY**

 **COME**

 **TO**

 **YOUR**

 **SENSES**

 **? ? ?**

 **XXXXXX**

 **And that's my rap!**

 **Next chapter… well, as you can probably see, it's going to have something big going on.**

 **Naruto just got out of the frying pan and into the pan as every dark being, well, most of them, want him to give in to the darkness… and some of my most impatient readers to, it seems. Whether he remains strong or not is for me to know and for you to find out.**

 **Swordslinger out!**


	8. Trading and Wishes

I OWN NOTHING

Living my life I have a lot of regrets to speak of, my biggest one so far… is that I somehow started using the internet like five to seven years after Youtube was first created… Am I slow or what?

 **XXXXXX**

Trading and Wishes

 **STAY**

 **AWAY**

 **FROM**

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **! ! !**

Naruto, Steven, Aladdin and Jasmine froze, the latter more than the other three when she heard it behind her ear, "Mirage, get away from her!" Naruto shouted, but didn't move. His body may have been able to take the punishment Tsunade and Sakura could dish out, but Jafar hit him with the intent to kill, twice.

The cat woman had her hand on Jasmine's shoulder, and her other hand held Genie's lamp, "I came here with a little… bet." The heroes were about to strike, but Jasmine was quickly shackled in green energy rings, her chest, thighs, and ankles had been tied by the magic rings with her arms pressed to her sides. They didn't move after that, "Good, I see you're smart."

"What do you want?" Naruto asked defiantly.

"I want you… to take Jafar's heart." The sadistic cat giggled, "Crush that lamp with your Keyblade or else your friends here won't have much of a future."

"And if I refuse?" he glared, gripping the black lamp in his hands tightly.

Mirage's eyes glinted, pure malice radiating from them, "I can make the same wish you ordered Jafar to stick to that light of yours by not killing him. A shame, if I must say so since he'll be lonely. I think the blue goof could use the company of this little thing." She scratched Jasmine's cheek with one of her claws.

Naruto screamed, "Do you think I'll actually kill just because you-"

Mirage rubbed the lamp, Genie appearing with fear all over his usually cheerful face, "If you do this and you somehow don't give in to the darkness Jafar had stored in him, I'll return your princess and blue buffoon."

Donald quacked in opposition, "What's the catch?!"

Mirage glared at the duck, more annoyed than anything for he had interrupted her speech, "Genie, for my first and only wish, I-"

"Stop!" Naruto cried, feeling his whole body tense.

She grinned, "Come to my temple if you want them back." And with a flash she and the princess were gone.

"Dammit…" Naruto breathed out as he slammed his fist around the ground so hard that it cracked, a massive fissure appearing from the point of impact and expanding like spider webs out. He continued punching the ground ferociously, darkness slowly oozing from him. He cringed, trying to push it down until he felt a warm hand place itself on his shoulder.

Turning around, with a surprised look on his face at the warmth he felt, he saw Sora give him a comforting look while the darkness receded into his body.

"We're here for you Naruto. Me, Donald, Goofy, and Riku too if he wants to help us. We'll stop Mirage together. And then we'll seal this world's Keyhole so it doesn't need to fear the Heartless." The boy, as always, did his best to keep a smile not for his sake but his friend's.

"Sora… you…" Here Sora smiled widely, the spiky haired young man throwing his hands behind the back of his head with a confident grin.

"Hey now, hey now! Don't cry man, we're friends so don't feel like you owe me a thing! So… So! Let's go and save a Princess!" he cheered, even taking a pose to try to encourage his friend.

Rising up and nodding while gripping his Keyblade tighter than before, Naruto smiled at his best friend, "Yeah…"

The group gathered together, before grinning when Riku leapt down with Iago clutched tightly in his hand, the parrot squawking in fear, "Alright! Alright! I'll tell you all where to go so put me down dammit! I have no clue why you idiots would want to risk your necks in Mirage's palace, especially for a genie or a Princess of all people, but I'll show you the way! The things I do to get out of being a jail-bird let me tell you…"

Aladdin quickly turned to his girlfriend, his face giving him away, which she voiced, "After seeing what I can do, you'd still rather have me here waiting while I know you'll be in danger?"

The young man chuckled sheepishly, "What can I say? I care about you. Besides, who better than someone who can control the sand to keep Agrabah safe while we're out?"

She aimed a finger at him, "You're so lucky you're smart enough to have a point." She smiled and quickly kissed his cheek, "You better return safe and sound, ok?"

"It's a promise." The street boy said before turning to Iago.

The parrot's annoying voice withstanding, he did keep his promise and helped them rip open a pathway to the dark realm of chaos and evil, a true place where shadows could grow, Morbia, as Mirage called it.

As its layout indicated, Mirage lived in the very embodiment of all chaotic energy itself, it resembled literal outer space in an asteroid field where her home, a sphinx-styled temple, is found. Without Iago's guidance and a little sinister help along the way from Mirage, they would've been lost amongst the floating rocks and rubble that had been lost at the moment of the world's creation for all eternity.

They found it however, and as they entered her home, they came to realize that the title Evil Incarnate was not just for show. If the outside was twisted, then the inside was even more so. A dizzying and forever changing maze that seemed intent on keeping them lost until it suddenly straightened out, mocking signs and letters spelling out the way to go without much more of her time to be wasted.

And just to add icing to the cake, they could hear her voice echoing in the halls of her temple, "I see you enjoy my company if you've come here. Do you like the decoration, dearies? I made it all just for you!"

Her voice was anything but loving, she sounded like she was having a lot of fun as the ten heroes made their way into a very large and empty room. Grey large blocks made the walls, a few pillars adorned it with large gold bowls filled with oil, and said oil was burning to give light to the otherwise empty room.

"No more tricks, Mirage!" Sora said, "You've played more than long enough."

Mirage purred, "Oh, but I haven't had enough fun out of you fools…"

Iago shivered on Riku's shoulder, "Does he always speak more than he should?" Riku was about to reply when the flames around them started to shift form and finally erupted into the floor.

There they took form, morphing, changing and finally becoming very large cats. And, while cats seemed harmless, they were anything but that. Truly, the housecat is one of the most evolved predators in the animal kingdom with traits from every big feline out there… and these cats were made of fire. They had a lynx-like complexion, except each was enormous, like a fully grown tiger. The flames of their bodies settled into their bodies, showing dark orange fur, and green pupil-less eyes scanned the group with pure hunger.

Finally the albino answered his feathered companion, "Yes, yes, he does." He said flatly while bringing out his own weapon.

Alice smiled, taking her basic stance, "No use delaying the inevitable."

"Read my mind!" Naruto said as he took his own stance, left hand burning with fire.

Terra nodded, her arms taking a proper spell-casting stance, "Blizzaga!" her words summoned large ice spikes which flew at the hellish felines.

"Wait!" Steven shouted, getting between the icy projectiles and the felines… and actually stopped the girl's magic from hitting them, confusing everyone, "Let me try something, please!" the kid begged before quickly turning to the fiery felines.

The group was about to stop him until the little shield using boy reached to one of them without fear… and petted it. Everyone stopped their charge, and Mirage herself was baffled at what she saw there and then. Steven for his part had a bright grin that grew the more he rubbed the fire cat's head, getting it to purr.

"How did you…" Aladdin started, trying to comprehend the situation at hand while Steven used his other hand to pet another nearby flaming cat.

The boy turned to his friends, "I'm good with pets." He said simply as his only explanation, softly chuckling when one of the large cats started to rub its head against his cheek for affection, "Whoa there, buddy. Be patient, Steven has lots of love and affection to share."

And then… the cats started to shrink!

"What?! How did he do that?! Did he know they feed on fear, or is it something else?!" Mirage, currently in her very well-decorated Egyptian style throne room, was using a magic orb to see the half-gem boy pet her servants without fear. She watched it all with wide eyes, before her fist slammed her seat's arm, breaking it. She stood up and walked to where she was expecting her target. She had to step up her game.

Back with our heroes, Steven laughed merrily as the cats started to lick him affectionately, "It's all right, little buddies, we don't have to fight." Steven said with a brighter smile, scratching the still shrinking cats under their chins until they were the size of kittens. They even gave out cute and adorable meows as the small kid's hands made them melt like putty.

"How are you doing this?" Donald asked, placing a hand on one of the tiny fire cats, almost tempted to pet it himself.

The boy turned to the duck with two fire cats in his arms, "I'm just really good with pets. You should see Lion back home. Though these little guys are a bit meaner on the outside, they just needed a bit of love."

"They used to be creatures made of living fire about as big as a house minutes ago." Iago tried to reason.

Steven tilted his head to the side in confusion, "Does that mean I shouldn't have pet them?"

Naruto snickered, "Heh… I guess it doesn't matter now. I'm just going to picture the face Mirage must have made if she saw her pets being defeated like this." He chortled a bit after closing his eyes, trying to imagine the shock in the cat's face, "Oh man, this is going to be priceless."

Once the room was cleared of the danger of the fire cats and the party could rest, someone didn't, Naruto. The blond just started running forward to the end of the room.

Iago squawked, "Idiot, don't go alone! Wait for-"

And Naruto couldn't hear him, just the sound of a thick slab of rock falling down behind him, sealing the room and keeping him away from his friends, "Oh, did I do that?" Mirage's voice reached him, "Or did you really think you could do this on your own? Dearest boy, you are so impatient… It's making you look adorable, and I don't do adorable much but I'll do an exception… seeing as you're about to meet me."

Naruto had a couple of words not meant for kids to listen, but heard a far more reassuring voice, Steven's, "Keep going on ahead, we'll catch up with you!"

He could even hear Alice slamming her Keyblade on the door, "No matter what, don't lose! Promise me you'll win!"

Sora banged his fists on the rocky surface, "There's no way we're leaving you alone, so don't give up."

"B-Believe in yourself!" Terra cheered, trying to be optimistic was a bit hard, but she wanted him to feel better.

Naruto felt his grip on his dark Keyblade tightening, his heart feeling warmer, "Who do you think I am?!" he asked with the cockiest grin he ever had, "I won't lose to that damned flea bag! You guys better not be late to see me saving Jasmine!"

Riku chortled, "I wouldn't wish to, O Great Modest One!"

Naruto nodded and ran forward to find Mirage, who decided to be kind enough and open a door for his friends to more of her maze.

 **YOU**

 **WILL**

 **NEVER**

 **CONTROL**

 **HIM**

 **FOR**

 **HE**

 **IS**

 **MINE**

 **AND**

 **MINE**

 **ALONE**

 **! ! !**

Mirage would've loved to play more, but her urge to see Naruto give into darkness was far more pressing. Soon enough, the boy found himself in a throne room, really more akin to a parlor of sorts, Naruto wouldn't put it past the woman that this was her playing tricks. A huge platform filled with fluffy cushions, and incense holders surrounding it showed where Mirage seemed to enjoy her nap-time.

The feline was in the small cat form that Naruto had first met her in, licking her paw with smug calmness while Genie's lamp laid discarded at her platform's feet. Floating above them all and making Naruto near burst with intense rage, was Jasmine, trapped in a pitch black crystal and seemingly unconscious if her limp form was any indication.

"Well, the players have arrived… or should I say the player and his paltry team of rejects?" she asked mockingly.

Naruto glared, "I'm really starting to hate cats." Sure enough, he remembered that his missions chasing a certain cat was a pain, always escaping the fat lady prone to bear hugs that was its owner. Mirage was thirty layers of evil poured all over that feline.

She laughed, "Fufufu… but I enjoy your company, the ones I have here aren't much…" she stared at them, eyes glowing with malice.

"Then I'll gladly take them back after I skin you!" he shouted, aiming his incomplete Keyblade at the amused cat woman.

"We have a princess out of her world, a wannabe guardian, a forsaken lamb torn between her monstrous true nature and her humanity, a foolish boy already questioning his own ties to the light, an even more foolish boy who believes he can stop darkness, two idiots who chase ghosts and dreams, and a street rat out of his depths. Truly my dearest Naruto, you could do so much better than these…" Raising a paw and swiping it with thoughtless irritation, she morphed into her true form and laid across her stomach, smirking nastily at him her green eyes shone with intense and twisted affection, "Worthless cretins."

Shuddering in disgust at being affectionately thought of by someone as unrepentantly vile as Mirage was, Naruto angrily pointed his Keyblade at the feline Queen of Evil, "I may not know what you and others are talking about thinking you're so high and mighty, but you don't insult my friends! I won't ask you twice you flea-bitten bitch… Give. Them. Back."

She scratched her chin in mock-thought, "Oh, an interesting proposition, truly and absolutely you make a compelling argument for the return of your princess and the genie unharmed, you must be a master orator my dearest Naruto."

"Isaid, **give them back!"** His voice warped out of sheer rage, his eyes turning a harsh and feral before she actually moaned. Yes, she moaned like she was a school girl getting massaged by her crush as her hands blasted him with dark green energy.

"Oooooh yes…! Yes! Bring yourself into delicious evil dearest boy! Give yourself, give all of yourself, to nothing but your rage…" she enjoyed it more than she should while his body shuddered with pure pain.

Naruto grit his teeth, trying to stop himself from screaming, "Y-You b- Ack!" he fell down to his knees, "W-What is this?!"

She smirked, losing herself in the moment, "I have absolute control over evil, dearest! Your hate! Your darkness! Give all of yourself to your base desires! Take what you wish! Slay who you want! Devour what you love! Bleed all the worlds dry then slake your endless thirst for death and slaughter upon their women, children and men like the cattle they are! Do it!"

Her eyes lost their pupils and glowed only an absolutely monstrous green, her mouth showed every single sharp fang it had as she howled with pure malice. Her face distorted into a maniacal grin as she goaded him relentlessly to give himself to his darkness.

The sheer horror of her words and the images had a different effect than the one she expected, "Y… You can try and hurt me… But don't think for a second I'm losing to you when I actually have people that want me to win!" the boy's friends, the feeling of warmth and safety they invoked brought Naruto back to his senses.

He finished his words by blasting a fireball at her, which she swatted aside with little to no effort. Mirage's eyes went back to normal as an irritated frown come over her face, "Tch… I have to make you realize your true nature myself then, is that it? Well… there's plenty of dark and depraved idiots to feed you, by force or otherwise…The gradual descent into pure evil you will take might be more fun, I suppose!"

"Think again…" he groaned, his whole body still feeling the waves of pain from her attempts to control him.

Seeing him like that, at first she was annoyed until she smiled widely, an actual blush coming over her furred face as she placed a paw at her cheek and cooed to herself fondly, "Ah… is this motherly love? Seeing your beloved son grow up and become a true man by your care? I want to feel this sensation more…! Even after you leave this world, I will follow you, and always be watching you to make sure you give in properly!"

Her words were a twisted mockery of motherly love and affection, and all they stood for. But regardless of how horrid they were, she did genuinely feel such feelings for Naruto, he was the son she never had in her long and evil life. A proper heir to mold and watch rule over the darkness when she retired one day, that wouldn't change even if he did refuse to give into the darkness. Because she would always be watching, and patiently wait for him to let her in.

"I wouldn't… count on it…" he gasped. He could read her, to be her son, or the closest she'd consider to such a thing, would mean to be her best tool to cause death and destruction.

"A rebellious phase, I see. When you do listen to reason, though…" the smirk she gained covered her whole face, "This world and all worlds will burn in your name! Ahahahahaha!" Her vile laughter ended when with a casual swipe, a green energy blast knocked Riku out of the air when he tried to leap at her, a mere flip of her wrist sent the boy flying painfully into a wall and crashing down it.

Her gaze narrowed upon the group as with a mere thought Genie's lamp appeared in her paws, and the crystal containing Jasmine shuddered before it slowly begun crushing her. Naruto was too stunned by this to register in his mind that his friends had finally arrived, "Stop it!"

"Now enough games and fun I guess. I'm serious now. Naruto. Stab that fool's prison and absorb his darkness. Or you will watch as I doom both your friends to eternal darkness. Either way, you will give into your evil nature." With a snap of her finger, she made the crystal light up, Jasmine's eyes snapping open before she screamed in agonizing pain while Mirage begun rubbing Genie's lamp and declared loudly as he emerged, "Genie, for my first wish, I want you to-"

"Alright!" the smirk she gained sickened Naruto, but he couldn't do much else, "Stop! Stop already… Mirage. Please." He fell to his knees, utterly defeated, Mirage's attention brought to him before she purred out with immense and disturbing delight.

She put Genie's lamp down while snapping her fingers to stop the light show, "Do it. You know what to do. Your nature as the King of Darkness will guide you through the steps. Do it now."

Jasmines tearful face and her mouthing out, "Please… no… Naruto…" But it was too late. Sealed the deal, he would not subject the princess to torture when the solution was so close at hand.

The whole situation, the sensation coursing through his body, it was maddening. He had never enjoyed the idea of killing, thus why he threw Mozenrath into a Dark Corridor. Even with someone like Jafar it was a terrifying thought. Sasuke had no trouble in wanting to kill, in learning how to do so, but Sasuke was someone that the darkness had easily consumed while all of his life Naruto tried to shrug it off.

And now…

Without a word, without looking at anyone, as he closed his eyes, he let go of the black lamp, the sound of it bouncing on the ground being deafening… and sunk his Keyblade into it.

Mirage laughed, "Ahahaha! I knew you had it in you!" she cackled madly, watching the darkness absorbed by the dark blade, and the powerful heart of the madman being consumed by it. She held the princess by her chin, forcing her to watch, "Now let's see how long it takes before he-"

"Rrr…" Naruto fell to his knees, hands gripping his head as his Keyblade fell to the floor. Darkness shuddered around the dark weapon while all of his friends, with clear reluctance on their faces, readied their weapons as they waited for a result, " **Rrrarrgh** …" the noise he made was like an animal's.

Terra watched in horror how his nails started to dig into his skull, drawing blood down his face. She wanted to heal him, but she couldn't. Darkness started to shoot around the blond, trying to engulf him fully. Alice was quickly at his side, aiming her Keyblade at her friend and watching the light erupt from the tip, but it didn't stop it.

Soon, the darkness settled around Naruto, and he got up, breathing heavy and raggedly. As he did so, he gripped his Keyblade which had changed yet again, just like him. Naruto's purple cloak sported a pair of black shoulder guards, both round and with a single spike at their sides. His now yellow eyes shone with a more predatory light, and the pupil was slit.

His clothes had returned to the ones he borrowed from Riku and Sora, but the Heartless symbol was now on his shirt. And instead of gloves he had gauntlets, both black and each covering the cloak's sleeves while the shattered heart emblem remained on the back of his palms.

The double-edged blade had grown sharper, soon it widened into a near rectangular blade, with a curved tip quite capable of cutting. Not only that, it had finally gained a guard. Around the purple handle were a pair of crimson blades that merged with the wider black slab of metal that happened to be his sword. Said red bladed hand-guard reminded him of Azuma's trench knives with their shape, almost resembling bat wings to protect his hands. The chain still grew longer but with no keychain at the end.

"You…" Naruto growled, "Get… away from Jasmine, you damn cat!"

Mirage sighed, "It seems it was only a step forward, what a pity." Then she grinned, "It just means I have to wait for the grand finale."

And before anyone could reach her, she had disappeared, leaving the lamp and Jasmine behind.

"Naruto…" Sora started, feeling incapable of recognizing his friend after what just happened.

Naruto forced a smile, "I'm fine… I'm just… tired…" he fell to his knees, gasping for breath, "J-Jafar's heart… Ugh, it's sickening… There's so much hatred, greed, and envy… I can feel it all swirling inside me like a really bad meal…"

"Then Grandma recommends you her chicken soup special." The Genie said, dressed as an elderly woman in a flowery dress with pink sweater on top and curly gray hair, "Eat up while it's hot." He said, a bed appearing for Naruto as he fed him the hot beverage.

Looking up at the floating crystal and Jasmine's relieved face, Naruto could only sigh in relief.

Picking up Genie's lamp, Aladdin looked down at it, before looking back at Riku and Sora, "Guys… do you want to use his power one last time before I make my wishes? You could find everyone you're looking for, maybe even help Naruto lose that damn cat."

As much as Riku wanted to say to give him the lamp, so he could save Kairi, something or rather someone stopped him. Sora shook his head with a sad smile, his blue eyes looking back at Genie who looked resigned to this already.

"…you always manage to make me feel like crap for being sensible you know Sora… Alright. No, we don't have any such wishes." Donald was about to raise a feathery finger until both Sora and Goofy grabbed him by the shoulders and then put fingers to their mouths to shush him.

"Wait, you can try and wish for me to remove the darkness around you, or to find your friends." Genie said.

Aladdin held the lamp up, "It's worth a shot." He held the lamp up, "Genie, I wish for Naruto to be free of the darkness' grip…"

The blue man nodded, readying his fingers, and… smoke came out, "What?" he gasped, and tried again, but more smoke came from his fingertips, "Oh no… I… There has to be another way, like-" , but Naruto shook his head with a hand on his chest.

"I absorbed the heart of a dark genie and am still doing all right…" he breathed deeply. "Even if this is beyond your powers, I can hold on."

Steven jumped on his back, giving him a hug, "And you got us to help you, so don't be that gloomy!" he said with a glare, but it came out pouty due to his childish behavior. He then grabbed the corners of Naruto's mouth, pulling it into a big smile, "So don't worry, be happy!"

The gang started to laugh, feeling better about the situation, "Well, let's try the second wish… Genie, I wish to see our lost friends…"

Smoke…

The group was silent as smoke was the only thing to come out of Genie's hands, "Sorry Al… my powers only affect the worlds I'm in. Which means your friends aren't here…"

Sora, Riku, Naruto and Steven slumped their shoulders, "Well, that means we have to keep looking, right?" Sora said, trying to keep the mood up.

Finally, seeing nothing else to delay this, Aladdin turned to Genie and exhaled softly. The blue man nodded, readying a wish that could make his friend happy while said young man thought of Sadira's smile and her love, before he looked determined and declared loudly. "Alright… Then Genie. I wish… that you were free!"

"Sure thing, one lo… what!?" Genie yelled out in shock, his eyes wide before in an explosion of light, the shackles on his wrists snapped off and disappeared into glimmering gold light. His smoke tail rippled, then transformed into a pair of legs clad in blue Arabian pants. "You… Al… you…!" Tears could only come to the big blue dork's face, his expression becoming overwhelmed with joy.

"With that out of the way, there has to be a way to break this." Alice said as she moved closer to the crystal Jasmine was in.

Just when the festivities were about to begin, Naruto uttered the dreaded words. The words that invited evil no matter what, for it was as if a crepe made out of the most sinfully monstrous things that an abomination would want to eat.

"Finally… it's all over."

Before anyone realized he said those horrific doom-inviting words, a blast of evil energy startled them. To their horror, Mirage wasn't done at all as she appeared again with a huge grimoire in hand, and, oddly enough, reading glasses on her face. Alice, the closest to her and Jasmine, tried to strike the cat woman only to be forced back with a push of her dark magic.

Naruto's body moved on its own and he quickly caught the girl, thankful that the adrenaline rush kept him from feeling any more pain.

Licking a single claw Mirage flicked through page after page until she found the one she wanted most, "Aha! The Genie Curse." She said, now standing by Jasmine's side.

Just the sight of her made Naruto mad. "Grk!" the darkness was swirling around him.

Now smiling wickedly, Mirage had Jasmine's crystal whirl around her rapidly, her eyes closed as she concentrated. A magical barrier of near divine power enveloped her from harm, no matter what even a now mad Genie did to try and break it. He even dressed up as a pro boxer, with a paw print pair of boxing shorts, gloves, and his name upon them before he released a barrage of punches to break through.

But he ended up stepping back, yelping in pain, "This isn't just magic, it's actually pure evil!" he exclaimed.

Naruto, Riku, Sora, and Alice all tried to break the barrier with their weapons, but only watched the blades bounce back. Seeing this, Mirage decided to be coy, "I knew I saw it in my copy of Ye Olde Darkest of Dark Kurses, thank you Abdul for this lovely birthday present, you were a good apprentice until your mind tragically snapped when I exposed you to the Elder Gods of Chaos."

"Yeah right!" Sora shouted as he, Naruto, Alice, Terra, Donald and Genie all fired every magic attack they had, but the barrier didn't even shudder.

Mirage continued to mock them with a casual shrug, "Shame that. But oh well. Lost a student gained a son, things happen and you roll with the punches sometimes." She placed a hand on the crystal.

"Stop it, stop it now! She… She doesn't deserve this!" Genie screamed, beating the barrier with his fists, to no avail.

Mirage's grin grew, "Fufufu! I, Mirage, Queen of Morbia, Queen of Calamities, Destroyer of Light command this spell to take effect! From the sun's glimmering rays, to the moon's baneful gaze, the Chosen will be trapped in a prison of eternal Hell, never to be released unless the curse be felled, into the Ring of Djinn I cast, until the day you are freed comes at last! Jasmine, Princess of Heart and Agrabah, become a genie!"

Her triumphant cackle was heralded by Jasmine's screams, her entire body shuddering as the black crystal shrunk rapidly around her entire form. Twisting and twisting, spinning and spinning, falling and falling, the crystal turned a bright glimmering gold, then shrunk into the shape of a single gold ring.

With that, Mirage made her exit with another wicked cackle, her last laugh heralding the ring falling to the floor with a soft clatter. Naruto weakly and hesitantly stumbled towards it, and, on instinct, slipped it on his right middle finger. It was a gold loop on his right index finger, red inscriptions keeping the princess inside.

"This is a joke, right? He breathed out.

Genie shook his head, which he hung low, "She's a genie of the ring… Unlike me, a genie of the lamp, wishes made by those genies are limited and far more limited than any I could grant. She can't even free herself, even if her master asked for it. The only good side is a limitless number of simple wishes."

Almost subconsciously after hearing the blue man's explanation the blond begun rubbing the piece of jewelry, his eyes focused on the thing to the point he was almost praying she'd come back. With a cloud of red smoke, though not as dark as Jafar's, Jasmine appeared in her new glory.

She now wore a gold band to keep her pitch black hair in a ponytail, and her clothes were now red with three gold rings wrapped around each of her biceps. However, she also sported the gold bracelets that kept genies locked to their master and whatever artifact happened to be their prison. Terra's blade on her hip said she was still not one to go down without a fight even if she now had magic.

"How can… I… serve you…? My master?" Jasmine's smile and thankful gaze along with her tears made Naruto break down, grief and joy mixing as he held her hands. Jasmine wrapped him into a tight hug and cried herself at the fact that they were alive at least. Alice, Terra, Sora, Aladdin, and Steven all walked forward and knelt down with him, hugging the two while he could only continue sobbing with Jasmine.

"I'm sorry… I'm… I'm so sorry…" he said, trying to hold in his tears. His shoulders trembled as the thoughts ran through his mind. Was he this weak? After all he did and went through, could he do nothing?

"Naruto…" the now genie girl started.

"I… I refuse this!" he shouted, holding her tighter, "I can… I will fix this! I promise you! So…" he looked at her, wiping his tears with a sleeve, and smiling as wide and brightly as he could, "So forget you saw me being sappy there, ok? I may not be bright or as strong as I need to be, but I can at least try to fix this."

Jasmine smiled and embraced the boy tighter. Riku, Donald and Goofy looked on silently, Riku with a pensive look on his face.

Despite Iago's promises that Naruto would give into his own darkness… seeing Naruto's pure hearted face made Riku's heart more determined, "If he ever loses himself to his darkness… Me… Sora… And Kairi. We'll all bring him back through it, because he's… our friend."

He promised himself and Naruto that with utmost seriousness.

Now that they were finally through Mirage's ordeal, Naruto brought them back through a Dark Corridor to Agrabah's city limits. They parted ways with Sora going to the Cave of Wonders and the others walking to the palace, for there were new to deliver to the Sultan though… and he took them as well as one would expect.

"J-Jasmine… My sweet child…" the poor man was broken, his face stained with tears as he hugged his daughter, who returned the hug with a sad smile.

"It'll be all right, father… We'll fix it. Just wait for me, we'll be back." She said, holding close the man that raised her with utter love.

 **TO**

 **THINK**

 **YOU**

 **ARE**

 **CLOSER**

 **TO**

 **ME**

 **BECAUSE**

 **OF**

 **THAT**

 **CAT**

 **. . .**

Back in Traverse Town, they decided to rest at the hotel after Alice and Steven changed their clothes to their normal outfits. Alice was more than happy to be back to her usual blue dress and apron. While Sora sealed the Keyhole, it was decided that the girls would share a room, while Naruto and Steven would rest at the other.

Said half-gem boy was more interested in the town and exploring it, and left Naruto on his bed to look at the ceiling, pondering on many things.

Aqua needed to be saved, and things were a big mess. Not to mention that Jasmine was a genie, and her prison was the ring Naruto carried. To add salt to injury, Mirage had made his heart sink deeper into darkness, and Jafar's heart was like an extra spicy meal that had been placed near a dumpster for over a year. It felt bad for his body.

With a sigh, he rubbed the ring with his thumb to see the princess turned genie, "You should be resting with the girls." he softly told her.

"And you should actually rest." she replied, her legs a tail of red smoke, body hovering close, "Also, you won't give the ring to anyone, and you only put me in your pocket when you go to the bathroom or change."

He blushed, scratching his right whiskered cheek with a finger, "What do you expect? I want to keep you safe like everyone here. I don't think that's too bad."

She smiled, she should have known that was it, "It's not, and that's what I like about you the most, that you care so much even if we're total strangers. Still, I am a genie now. I can take care of myself and even grant you wishes."

"Small wishes." he corrected, earning a pouty glare from the princess which broke as soon as it came when she giggled.

"Well, what would you wish for if I were like Genie?" she asked, honestly curious.

He smiled, "Your freedom, I wouldn't even doubt it."

She rolled her eyes, her smile still in place, "Come on, be more ambitious. What would you wish for?"

Naruto hummed, "Well, to see Connie and Steven together, and to save everyone trapped in the darkness, also to know where Kairi is... and that she and Sora finally get together in a cute date."

Jasmine blushed at the mention of the date while he snickered. She quickly hid it, though, "What about yourself? What would you wish just for you?"

Naruto was silent, looking intently at the ceiling in deep thought, "I... I don't know at this point." he admitted, "I guess, if you asked me this before I met Sora, Riku, and Kairi, I may have wished to save someone else... Or just to be Hokage. Perhaps to be the strongest shinobi to have ever lived and leave a great legend behind that'd never be forgotten... To be... you know, admired and loved."

Jasmine smiled softly, briefly wondering how a boy so pure could become the King of Darkness. She voiced other thoughts, "What about a snack? I could get that for you. What would be up to the standards of history's strongest future Hokage?"

Naruto chuckled, "If I can wish... I'd like some dango." With a nod and a smile, a plate full of the sweet treats a certain snake mistress loved appeared by the bed, making Naruto smile, "Thanks!"

She giggled, "Naruto, I want to help you. Even if it's with stuff like this, I truly want to see you smile. You've done so much for me, and if it weren't for you... I don't want to think what Jafar would have done to me, or what Mirage had planned after all the struggles she put you through. To see you here, alive and well after all I put you through…"

She paused her train of thought when a dango stick was handed to her, "Here, try it out." he said with his trademark goofy smile, "It's really good. Besides, we can't free you on an empty stomach, can we?"

The princess turned genie sighed contentedly, he was really a child, but like Steven he really tried his best. Perhaps that was what endeared him to her. He, unlike Steven, wasn't so innocent and yet he did his best to keep smile on his face, if only to try to make the world around him less bleak.

She bit into one of the sweet orbs, and found herself liking the taste.

They spent that night eating dango and waiting for Steven to come back.

Meanwhile, on the other room, using empty glasses, the blonde princess and the green head were pressing their ears to the cold crystal surface, the other end on the door. They listened intently with their breaths held still how the conversation went. Even if one was shy, they could still fight for something they wanted, and even if someone were pure of heart it didn't mean they'd give up without a fight.

The two girls nodded to each other... Jasmine was far more... fleshed out than them. If the dusky skinned genie girl wanted, she could trance Naruto with her beauty. Goodness' sake, she'd just have to belly-dance to turn the boy into a drooling slave. It was a thought they feared, and it was because of that that they would listen intently to everything that happened on the other room.

Nothing creepy at all. No. Not at all. Besides, Steven would probably be back very late, so they would do well if anything tried to attack Naruto. They would immediately stop any danger to his persona and remaining innocence. Yes, that was good, that was normal, and that was what they were doing.

And just when he finished the last of his dango, Naruto heard a knock at his door, "It's me, Leon. I'd like to talk to you." Jasmine returned to the ring, Naruto opened the door to the man… and swiftly tried to punch the taller swordsman in the face. Leon, however, was prepared and caught the boy's fist before his knuckles could make contact with his jaw.

Naruto pulled back, "Had to make sure it was you." he was lying, and Leon knew.

"Yeah right." The brunet said with thick sarcasm and his eyes locked with the boy's, "Truth be told, it bothers me to think there's someone even more troublesome than Sora. And yet, here you are."

"Dammit, that sounded too much like Shikamaru." The swordsman gave him an arched brow, "Forget it. Now, for real, what are you doing here?"

Leon aimed a finger at the blond, "You're nothing like how you used to look. This time you actually look like a proper Heartless. The only relief I have is that your Keyblade is still incomplete."

"So what're you going to do?" Naruto asked with a glare.

Leon sighed, "I want you to train."

"…wait, what?" Naruto had to make a pause to process those words.

Seeing the gears turn in the boy's head, Leon continued, "There's a nearby world I go to train at times. Sometimes I enter matches against strong warriors and others I just see if there's anything worth learning there. I want you, the girls and Steven to go there and train."

"Why?" Naruto finally asked. Sure, the guy looked a lot like Itachi, and even sounded like him and Shikamaru together, but him being this nice seemed uncharacteristic of him.

"I know you don't like me, so I'll be honest…" Leon started as he walked to the blond, "I don't like you either, in fact, I think you're too stupid to fall into the darkness which is a true relief."

"Why you!" Naruto shouted, this time stopping himself from punching the brunet.

"However…" the man continued, "You are Sora's friend, and I know for a fact you want to help him. So I'll try to tolerate how much you remind me of an idiot I know…" he took a moment to think, "Actually, you at least keep your distance from me. Though I don't know whether that makes you better or not."

"Fine…" Naruto started, his Keyblade appearing in his hand, "If you wanted to tick me off, it's working. Sure, I'll go to this world you speak of. I'll find a way to fight you, and then I'll kick your ass!"

"Only if you can hit me." Leon said as he turned around and walked off.

"Just so you know…" Naruto's words halted the brunet, "I don't like you… I hate your freaking attitude." He growled, "You think you're the only one that's suffered? You think you're the only one with troubles? You think you're the only one that has felt alone, miserable and powerless?"

Leon faced the blond, eyes colder than usual, "So you're telling me to put on a fake smile?"

"No." the answer surprised the older swordsman since he didn't expect Naruto to reply that quickly, "I'm telling you to build yourself a bridge and get over it!" he explained, filled with passion, "That attitude, that face, that act you put while looking down on others… That's what is really idiotic, the fact you still cling on to your own misery like it's all that ever matters."

Leon stared at the kid, his eyes remaining cold, "If it were that easy-"

"Don't give me that!" Naruto cut him off, "The way you act, ever since I met you, is like someone I know who thought everything was tied to fate. If the world's really all that miserable around you, then change it yourself instead of letting it just stay the same, that's something at least."

Leon kept staring at the kid, and finally turned to leave, "I can see why Sora believes so much in you now."

The blond was about to chase him, but felt the ring pulse in his hand, "Please calm down. You said your piece already."

He sighed, Jasmine was right, "Sorry… I just… really don't like guys like him." then he recalled he had a special ring, "Hey, I can ask for any wish, right?"

Moments later, Leon made his way to his base to find a wide-eyed Yuffie, "What is it now?" he asked the petite ninja girl.

The dark haired girl bit her lower lip, her cheeps inflated and turned red, and finally she started to tremble before all the energy in her exploded in a mad fit of laughter. Leon watched her hold her sides in pain, trying and failing to stop her laughing fit as the pain it caused her grew, yet wasn't enough to take the fun out of the situation. She managed to clamp a hand to her mouth and aim the other's index finger at him.

Leon turned to see his reflection on a window… wearing a red short mini-skirt, a black bra over a white blouse, badly put on lipstick that looked like a clown's smile, and frilly stockings.

"What the…" it was the first time in her whole life that Yuffie saw the stoic swordsman's face change expressions from the definition of stoic to a good example of what true horror grasping someone's heart was. Then, it was like something in his mind snapped when his brain connected the dots.

A loud scream of "NARUTO!" that echoed through the entire town was good enough to give the blond a peaceful sleep.

Jasmine was giggling, "I do feel bad, but it's been ages since I ever had this much fun."

Naruto smiled and thought of what to do tomorrow while letting himself drift into a world of pleasant dreams.

 **YOUR**

 **DESIRES**

 **WILL**

 **BRING**

 **US**

 **CLOSER**

 **MY**

 **KING**

Far off, after what happened with Jafar, Riku and his current assistant walked through dark halls to meet Maleficent yet again.

"What are we even doing here?!" Iago cried.

The boy didn't lose a second to reply, "Finding answers, breaking my contract, and getting any leads to Kairi as well as any princess trapped in here out of here with us."

They did not expect to find a man with blue fire over his bald head, black robes, an insanely large chin, and gray skin. The gray man, about seven foot tall, gave the boy a wide, sharp-toothed grin, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the new king's friend. Gotta say, kiddo, good job on sticking to your friends. But let me assure you, you're better playing solo."

"See how far Jafar got on his own." Riku retorted, arms crossed. Internally, he was prepared in case the man had heard more than needed.

"Heh, we have ourselves a wise guy, don't we?" the fiery headed man said, before appearing right behind the white haired lad in a cloud of smoke, "But take it from a pro, kiddo! Working for someone isn't all that great, oh no, especially if you do care for them…" here he grinned wider than before, his smile truly shark-like, "After all, that little girl you're looking for will have the honor of serving her heart as Blondie's meal."

"Not if I can help it." Riku said defiantly.

"Truer words were never spoken." Said the melodious voice of Maleficent, "After all, you have a right to fight for her heart, if you serve our new king right."

Riku and the robed man turned to her, the former speaking, "Do you really think I'll buy that?"

Maleficent smiled sweetly at the young boy, "Why, no. I never did. I do want to have your trust, for the King of Darkness can become a true worthy ruler if he's in the right path."

Riku was hesitant, it was too good to be true, and yet he didn't have any other options, "What do you mean?"

"You and that old friend of yours can stand up to the King with his Keyblade and your darkness, child." She walked to the boy, affectionately patting his head until he moved her hand aside, "Your bonds to him could keep his mind from disappearing to the darkness' embrace like it already has more than once. The fact that meddlesome feline hasn't controlled him is testament of that."

"What's the catch?" he had to be straight to the point.

"Our future king understands true darkness." Maleficent waved a hand, green flames erupting and showing images of a much younger, lonely Naruto, "Shunned by his people like he were a monster. Hated without being told of a reason. Lied to because of the secrets people swore to keep for some greater cause that just brought harm to him. That kind of existence is worse than any torture, to simply know everywhere you look at you won't be accepted or cared for no matter what you do to get attention. That is the life your friend had."

Riku tried to reach for the image of the little blond having grown too tired to simply cry, the child didn't even want to give the tears to the people that whispered about what he was behind his back.

And then, the fire haired man appeared, "And that's where good old Hades here comes. There's one of us that knows a lot to the little rascal, and she knows how to make him tick."

"And that would be me…" Kaguya said as she appeared in the hall, looking down on Riku and feeling every fiber of the boy's being with a sense of dread. It was like the woman were made of danger, like just a cell of her body could overwhelm him. For modesty's sake, she had closed her kimono, keeping the Heartless symbol away from view.

Iago trembled, hiding behind Riku's head, "Th-That's Kaguya Ootsutsuki! She's bad news, kid! She's practically existed to see darkness roam around her!"

Kaguya narrowed an eye, and like that Iago was sent flying backwards into a wall. Riku replied instantly by drawing his blade, only to find himself on his hands and knees before her. It was like his body had turned into lead, he felt way heavier than before.

Maleficent sighed and bowed to her fellow horned woman, "My apologies for the boy's manners. However, he is in need of some proper education."

Kaguya smiled, her Sharingan eye spinning, "I can fix that…"

 **YOU**

 **SHALL**

 **NEVER**

 **TAKE**

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **AWAY**

 **FROM**

 **ME**

 **! ! !**

 **XXXXXX**

 **And that's my rap!**

 **Yes, yes! I know I just ruined a lot of you guys' fun doing these plot twists, but I have plans for this, ok?!**

 **Can you trust in me, can you still give this a chance, and can you please, for the love of anything good in you, think for one moment that I'm not forcefully making things dark and gritty?**

 **I have an idea for everything here. Making Jasmine a genie is a good way to have her in the party, and she also can help them as a sort of summon.**

 **Many of you are already flaming me for what I've done at the end, so if you did then I please ask that you try to be patient enough to see how this unfolds.**

 **I'm not a sadist, ok? I'm not going to make Naruto's life miserable after everything he already endured in canon.**

And now, to answer some questions:

1\. What does Naruto's Keyblade look like? Well, it's taking a form similar to Terra's, that's why I said the blade has now a "rectangular" shape.

2\. What outfit is Jasmine wearing as a genie? Ok... it's basically the slave outfit she has in the first movie. A guilty pleasure of mine. Besides, it's what people think she'd wear if she were a genie so I rolled with it.

3\. How did Steven beat the cats like that? Those fire cats are Mirage's servants, and they feed on fear to grow bigger. Steven for his part has shown he cares for pretty much any sentient being. There's episodes in which he does that, and he has the skills to pacify monsters with some degree of intelligence. Besides, it's Steven, he has an enormous pet lion so some large cats with bodies that can turn into fire wouldn't scare him.

4\. What's gonna happen to Riku now? Yes, Kaguya is still her mind-breaking self, and as evil as before. Her goals to using Riku have to do with her knowing how Naruto ticks... But, does Riku have what it takes to fight back?

5\. Does Riku have what it takes to fight back? You'll have to wait and see.

6\. What was Steven doing in Traverse Town? Wait for the next chapter.

 **Swordslinger out!**


	9. To stranger meetings

I OWN NOTHING

The more I keep going with this fic, the more I have to ask myself one thing, why am I having so much fun with it? Perhaps it's the childlike innocence to it, even with the not so innocent parts.

 **XXXXXX**

To stranger meetings

 **YOU**

 **WILL**

 **ACCEPT**

 **YOUR**

 **TRUE**

 **SELF**

"It is a pleasure to finally meet our future king's true allies…"

Kaguya had a sinfully pleased smile on her face as she sat down on the table at an altar dedicated to darkness. The symbol of the Heartless on her chest almost seemed to beat with a banner behind her. This room, unlike the one Jafar had talked with the ones before her, had a long rectangular table in which she sat at one end. Maleficent sat at her side, a smile on her pale green face.

"You've seen the error of our group's most recent fallen member." Maleficent waved her wand around, creating an image of how Naruto changed after taking the man's heart.

"I still don't get it, my dears." The corpulent woman told them, "To make him fight darkness so he can gain darkness. Surely he must realize how dangerous it is to keep killing Heartless."

"And if he doesn't take them down, also taking the darkness as a part of his own power, he will be left to my mercy." Kaguya replied with a placid grin, "He knows that he is bound to meet me. I just gave him a little… motivation." The symbol on her chest almost glowed in delight, "After all, he is smart enough to realize the Heartless are after him because they want him as their king, even if it's by force."

Hades picked his ear, pulling out some embers, "Yeah, yeah, a slow boil, I get it. But why not get to the main dish and deep fry the kid?" he asked as his blue flame for hair started to cover his body in glee.

A literally walking sack of bugs walked forward, "What he said! Waiting will only make things boring! If we're betting anything, I prefer it like a game of dice! Too much suspense will make me snore!"

Kaguya frowned here, "I tried that. Trust me, I tried with all my power to reach for his heart to appreciate the embrace I couldn't share even with my foolish sons." She glared as, on her command in the form of a hand waving, Maleficent showed an image of Sora, "He still clung to this boy's light. It is because of him that we have to let our future king's despair build up."

A cackle from a big-chinned gentleman called their attention, "Why not get to the point and make him watch that drowned rat and those lackeys of the king walk the plank? Why, I'd be delighted to feed them to the sharks myself!"

Kaguya leaned back with a calm expression, "I've already send the perfect hunters to do the job. They're foolish puppets that should deal with them accordingly."

"Should?" Hades asked with a smirk, "Pardon me, but it seems you sound a bit doubtful."

"It is that cat…" Kaguya started, "She may not be the most powerful entity in existence from her world, but she does pose a threat. The way she used that princess to our advantage is a thing, and to think those two girls are with Naruto makes our hunt easier. But with how good it seems, I am not putting anything to chance."

"Plus, your precious little boy has other new friends to keep him out of the darkness' reach." Maleficent stated with a grin, "How would you like us to extinguish their light?"

Kaguya giggled softly with her mouth into one of her hands, "Do you think they will be able to deal with Naruto's true self?"

"Oh ho! Now she's talking!" the sack of bugs started, before looking confused, "Wait, what's she talking about?"

"Deep in our future king rests a darkness unlike that of his former teammate." Kaguya started, "That Uchiha boy may have lost his family right before his eyes, but he gave in too easily to his hatred. Not only that, he betrayed people that constantly showered him with love and praise… Naruto on the other hand was never given that. He was shunned, treated like he shouldn't exist, and yet he never let it take him down."

Maleficent gave a soft smile, "To try to hold on to whatever light he could find in the few people that didn't ignore he was alive, he buried a great darkness deep down. The loneliness of having to leave away from others. The wrath of every criticism to his failures. The greed for a life in which he could have everything. The sorrow of seeing others having the family he could never get to know."

A plump but feminine hand pointed a finger at the blond, "If he has suffered through that, he surely doesn't let it show." Said the melodious voice of the overweight woman.

Kaguya inhaled and sighed like she had breathed a pleasant meal, "And all of that darkness has grown in him, waiting for a chance to dig its way out. It is a seed for a proper king, a true conqueror for the darkness. With Naruto's true self, with his darkness fully unleashed, it will only be a matter of time before he truly becomes our king… and as his loyal subjects, we shall watch all worlds kneel under his rule."

"Jafar told me of something different, lady." One of the men said, raising a hook at them, "About how the King of Darkness is nothing but a mindless monster used for darkness itself to devour everything. That doesn't sound to me like a man who'd give any land to us, let alone help us with our ambitions!"

"If Mirage has her way, then that may be it." Kaguya started, "However, she just desires to turn him into the kind of… son she desires." She paused, looking disgusted, "The thought alone makes my bile rise… She wishes to see him turn into a machine of death and destruction. Although that is acceptable for our goals, there is more to Naruto than that. With the way he's grown, he can be truly extraordinaire in our hands."

The chubby lady in the room hummed, "So much faith in him… My darling Kaguya, it seems you are more like Mirage than you are willing to admit. I mean, this sweetie of a boy is a few steps away from becoming the son you always wanted."

She was pleased to see the Rabbit Goddess smirk, "If he becomes the king the darkness needs, the ruler that sleeps deep within him… I wouldn't mind becoming his queen." She giggled darkly, covering her mouth with a sleeve, "Oh dear, I can't believe I've been so bold. He is more amazing than I thought if he can get this old lady to feel so young… Afufufu…"

Hades raised a finger, and then brought it down, before lifting it again, "I am trying real hard to come up with a witty line here, trust me, but for the first time in my life I think I'll be quiet."

The sack of bugs was outraged, "Wait, that just means you want to mooch off the profits!"

Kaguya's hair quickly started crushing the sack's form, making him scream in pain until more of her hair shut his mouth, "If we wish to make this work, someone will have to guide him. I have reached his darkness, made him feel at ease with it even for the briefest of instances." She let her supposed ally fall down, "However, the same can't be said about that meddlesome cat."

Maleficent nodded, "If Mirage were to have her way all of our efforts would result in a beast that would bite the hand that fed him."

Hearing that, the man with a hook for a hand looked at where five fingers had once been before gulping.

There wasn't much else to say, they had to win.

Speaking of winning… "Then how about I and the kid actually have a… friendly conversation with the little rascal?" Hades asked before Riku walked to them. "After all, I got some connections."

The boy still looked like his old self, he even grinned cheekily at the fire-headed man, "Whatever helps Naruto and you, Lady Kaguya." He even bowed to the kimono clad woman.

"Truly, Riku, you shall make a proper knight to our king." Kaguya softly said, pleased at how well things seemed to go.

Riku gave her a thankful smile, "He is a true friend, even if he's still so naïve. I'll save him, and with his help Kairi can be back."

One of the figures moved to his side, "Only if he learns to control his darkness, which is why we need you with him." Maleficent said, patting his shoulder.

"I can't believe it, you're all even more insane than Jafar!" from his cage, hanging by a wall, was Iago, not really pleased with how things had developed, "Come on, kid! You can have faith in your friends like fairy tales say you should, but even you can realize that Blondie will become a machine of death! You heard his story, how long do you think it'd take before he snaps?!"

"Then you can watch the world burning, or you can help us prevent that from happening." Maleficent said coldly. "One way or another, we need a way to make sure Naruto doesn't devour the princesses' hearts like Mirage would be pleased to see happening. What better way than making him the one and only true King of Darkness?"

Ruffling his feathers didn't matter so long as Iago could scream some sense into the horned women, "You think your eyes and magic can do anything?! I've been with Jafar long enough to realize how bad of an idea that is! For crying out loud, ladies! Every single King of Darkness wannabe before this kid had to be put down by both darkness and light! Wanna know why?! Because they became real monsters!"

"Such a mistake shall not be repeated." Kaguya retorted with a serene smile, "After all, all those before Naruto were not like him. They were all easy targets for the darkness like his former teammate."

Riku smiled, "In short, you're picking him as our king because he's too stubborn to lose?"

Kaguya had to cover her mouth for another giggle, "Afufufu… In short, yes."

 **YOU**

 **WILL**

 **NEVER**

 **KNOW**

 **DEFEAT**

 **ONCE**

 **YOU**

 **ACCEPT**

 **ME**

Our heroes had their own issues to deal with at the moment. One of them in particular was once again chasing for something he cherished quite a lot.

"Gee, this place sure gives me the chills at night."

Steven shuddered at the cold night air in Traverse Town. Walking down the streets alone seemed a bad idea for a kid when there were Heartless, but he had his bubble shield and his more traditional light shield. He felt relatively safe, and with the training he received from Pearl he was pretty confident on his ability to stand on his own against any threat. Still, he'd feel better with company.

He eventually came to a halt before a large white building, the clock tower. Gazing at it was hard to avoid doing, considering its sheer size and design. Perhaps it housed great secrets that no soul could have ever imagined, or it may at least house a secret club house for little kids that might have clues to someone's whereabouts. And who better than a little boy with a cool shield to get that info?

He entered the place and whistled at the gears in motion, "Is anyone here?" he asked, rather hopeful it'd be someone in specific, "Connie? Did you return from wherever you went?" he knew she could be lost in another world, but if there was a chance she had returned he wanted to find her.

A rush of movement alerted him of company. The boy quickly turned around, but found nothing at all. He could feel his breath caught in his throat as he tried to even out his inhaling and exhaling. He had been in similar situations, and he really didn't like them very much. To be in a closed place with something moving around him, and that sensation of danger tensing his back muscles like a chill wanted to crawl but didn't.

It would be a horrible thing if something jumped on his back to startle him, "Aloha!"

Steven's heart and lungs jumped to his stomach, "GEDDOFF! GEDDOFF! GEDDOFF!" he yelled while running around, flapping his arms like a headless chicken attempting to fly.

He should have paid more attention before slamming face-first on a wall, which made him see stars. Upon his back making contact with the floor, the strange being had jumped off and landed gracefully on all… six. Steven's eyes were spinning, but the three swirling images before him were of something blue, small, fluffy, and oddly like a koala.

It extended a clawed hand, and made a gripping motion, "Hi…" it said with a massive grin filled with razor-sharp teeth.

And with his eyes finally settling back in place Steven could take in its appearance. It looked like a koala with rabbit ears, blue fur, odd fin-like spikes on its back like a lionfish, antennae, and four arms. It stood on two legs, and stared at him curiously before staring at its appearance. It gave a small knowing gasp and the boy watched in mute fascination as its two lower arms, antennae, and spikes receded into its body.

Nevertheless, despite the oddity of the creature, Steven was sure to remember his good manners no matter what, "Hello." He said with a small smile and proper tone on his voice, like Pearl taught him, "My name's Steven Universe. Who are you?"

He extended a hand to the blue creature, which the little animal sniffed curiously, forcing Steven to keep his laughter in. It spoke, but Steven couldn't understand.

Everything the creature said sounded like gibberish, but there were bits the half-gem boy understood, "Stitch… find… Lilo."

The impish creature didn't need to say more, "Your name's Stitch? Wait, you're also looking for someone?"

Answering first with a nod, the creature spoke in more gibberish, with a few key words for Steven to follow, "Home's been broken by fuglies… Lilo is lost. Stitch, lost too."

Ever had that feeling when you found someone you could relate in ways you never thought possible? Aside from feeling that, and an odd urge to pet the blue koala-like Stitch, Steven needed to do something far more important than satisfy his need of petting and caring for possibly dangerous creatures.

"If you're looking for someone, so am I. How about we-" Something Steven should have expected by now after traveling so long with Naruto, was that if good things seemed to happen there'd be something in the universe to balance the good with bad. In this case, finding a lonely traveler that could use his help came with the sound of a window breaking followed by rattling metallic footsteps.

Soldier Heartless had appeared, a platoon marching in their bizarre wobbly pace towards the small boy and the weird blue creature. At the sight of them, Stitch brought out his claws while Steven summoned his shield. With battle cries of their own, they charged. The short half-gem rammed into two with his shield, pushing them back, while his new acquaintance jumped at one and started to slash at it with his claws.

The two Heartless Steven pushed clashed against the others, knocking them down, while Stitch's enemy started to disintegrate. Seeing this, the Soldiers stepped back, but not because they were retreating. A dark sphere appeared out of thin air, materializing into a Large Body. With a growl, Stitch showed his true four-armed form and rushed at the enormous Heartless.

Steven was about to call the little creature and warn him of the Heartless' shield powers. He was too late, and thus watched wide-eyed how Stitch grabbed the dark monster's gut and, defying all logic, lifted a creature far heavier than him with little effort, before using it as a hammer. As a quick note, the nails he hammered to the ground were the other Heartless, which were flattened like pancakes before vanishing.

After having its head brought down on the ground with enough force to sink it into its neck, the Large Body also disappeared into thin air.

"Whoa…" was the only thing that came out of his lips in his starry-eyed amazement.

The blue creature didn't listen to him, it growled angry gibberish at the Heartless like he was cursing. Steven figured he was best not knowing what some of those words may mean. He knew that only adults did it when they were truly mad even if they didn't mean to, but Stitch was more childish. The small creature even stomped the ground where the Soldiers had been before spitting on it.

"Hey, calm down, little buddy." Steven told Stitch, patting his shoulder, "Listen, it's best if we get out of here before more come. I can then help you find Lilo, ok?"

Stitch calmed down and nodded, but then tensed, like he just remembered something, and he did, "Stitch is stuck. Ship is broken."

Steven found himself even more surprised, "You actually have a ship? Wait, it's broken?" Stitch nodded, making Steven think… and an idea came to him, "Well, I think I have an idea. Go grab your stuff, friend. Because you're going to be in a great and epic adventure!"

He had declared that proudly, even posing with a finger pointing to the sky, but once they got out and walked down the district, things started to go nuts. No more than two steps out of the building and the two saw more Heartless waiting outside. Less than a second later they had run off to the nearest abandoned place, closed the doors and put their entire weight against them to prevent the monsters from getting in.

Stitch spoke in his own odd language, which Steven could guess would translate to something along the lines of, "We're trapped."

Steven nodded, "Those guys just seem to keep on multiplying faster than we take them out."

Gibbering rapidly at Steven, Stitch left the young boy to hold the door shut while he did something. Stich quickly ran around, yanking out pots and pans in the small apartment they had found themselves trapped in. What he seemed to be looking for he found when he picked up a bunch of nails and bolts and some spare gun powder apparently used by Leon and kept out of the curious reach of inquisitive kunoichi.

Grabbing the pot then slamming everything inside, he begun rattling the pot rapidly until the nails and bolts were all but bouncing inside the pot at a rapid rate. Stitch slammed the pot into the oven then gibbered at Steven to get down. The boy quickly did so as the pan glowed a bright red, the sounds of the pot shaking filling the room with a metallic clinking sound.

Just as the doors were knocked down, the pot all but exploded out like a bomb, an explosive force of machine gun like metal shredding the Heartless attempting to get inside and clearing the way for the two. Stitch gibbered eagerly at Steven whose jaw had dropped to the floor before the creature grabbed his hand and yanked him out of the apartment before more Heartless arrived.

"That was awesome, and something Pearl would completely be against, but it was awesome!" the boy said while he and his new friend ran off to try to find help or a way to the first district.

As the idea of freedom started to settle in like more than a possibility, things stopped going smoothly to just plain confusing. Steven skidded to a halt, Stitch being yanked back by the momentum before turning to the boy. Said bushy haired kid pointed to a certain direction. There was someone Steven had seen only once and Stitch hadn't.

"I just arrived to this world and I can already feel his aura…" Riku said dryly while behind him three Large Bodies banished into thin air, "It seems Naruto's strength is making the Heartless go crazier."

"That's Riku, but…" Steven noted something was off. "Iago is missing."

He knew the bird was selfish and would look out for himself, but he also figured Riku had enough kindness to not leave him behind for no reason. When he first met him, Steven saw Riku as an older boy who'd do anything in his power for his dreams and friends. The way Riku talked now that he had appeared as like he were talking about something rather than someone. Even Stitch was unnerved by the cold tone.

"Know him?" the blue critter asked.

"He's a good guy, deep down." Steven said, but didn't move towards his and Naruto's common ally, "Come on, Stitch, we have to follow him and make sure he doesn't do anything dumb."

After watching Steven throw himself flat on his stomach on the ground to crawl behind Riku, Stitch followed suit by doing something weirder. The blue ball of fur grabbed his legs, opened his mouth, and managed to put his stubby feet in his jaws to become a ball. It was like a hedgehog, only softer and far cuddlier. Surprisingly, they managed to stick behind the albino because, unsurprisingly, the Heartless attacked him.

With the dark beings keeping Riku busy and allowing the two odd acquaintances to stealthily see where he was headed, the small boy was surprised to see him in front of a familiar place. It was the same place Naruto and the girls were at and Steven had just exited. When questions flooded Steven's mind, the white haired lad merely walked to a door that led to the alley behind the building where the balconies were.

Seriously worried, Stitch asked something in gibberish akin to, "What's he doing?"

Shrugging, Steven replied, "I don't know. I barely know him, but even if he's the kind of guy who doesn't like to be in the spotlight, he'd at least go through the front door to meet Naruto, unless…"

Instead of speaking, Steven tensed at the sound of metallic footsteps. He and Stitch turned around to find even more Heartless, making the latter growl angrily, bearing his sharp teeth and claws. Without much else to say, the two gave the other a nod. With Steven's shield ready and Stitch's four ridiculously strong arms lifting a bench that had been nailed to the floor as a weapon, they got ready for another round.

 **YOU**

 **WILL**

 **GROW**

 **IN**

 **POWER**

 **WITH**

 **OR**

 **WITHOUT**

 **ME**

"Anyone there? Don't make me use knock-knock jokes…"

The whiskered Jinchuuriki sat on his bed with a half-eaten dango stick dangling from his lips when he heard the voice. He turned to the window on the balcony and opened it. To his immense surprise and joy, he found a face he didn't mind seeing after his otherworldly adventure started. Riku, always fond of showing off, was seated on the edge with a leg dangling back and forth.

"Riku, it's a pleasure!" Jasmine said, the genie girl smiling at the familiar face until something odd happened. Riku didn't even acknowledge her, he just turned to Naruto like she hadn't spoken.

"It's good to see you." He said, but while he could have meant the two of them, Jasmine had a nagging suspicion the lad only meant the blond.

"What happened to you?" Naruto asked, clearly worried, "Did you get information, were you hurt? What is going on? Wait, where's the bird?"

Riku chuckled, "I think you should be worried about Steven more, he's had some run-ins with Heartless." When he saw the blond about to summon his still incomplete Keyblade the albino halted him, "Whoa there, don't get ahead of yourself! I did pass by him, and he's fine. He can hold his own better than I imagined. I would have talked to him but I decided to cut to the chase. And Iago didn't want to get involved."

"Is Steven all right then?" Naruto questioned Riku's words due to caring for the small boy, whether he could hold his own or not Steven was a good kid.

"I did see him take out Heartless without problems and avoiding fights when he could, he's strong and smart enough to get back here safe." Riku's words made Naruto feel at ease, slightly more than before.

His eyes finally landed on Jasmine, making her feel confused, "What do you mean? Clearly, if it's something involving Naruto, I'd like to help."

"Same here." Terra said, walking into the room with a blush on her face. Alice for her part hid out of view with her back on a wall, holding her breath as Terra felt everyone's eyes on her, "O-Oh… I… I didn't mean to drop by, but you weren't really being quiet…" she half-lied, after all, they couldn't be quiet when they were being listened to intently by her and the blue-eyed princess.

"I know you girls care. I wouldn't put it past you." Riku's green eyes scanned the other room, "However, I can assure you this next bit is something only Naruto needs to listen to. I can also give you my word it's nothing embarrassing or dangerous."

"Then why keep it a secret?" Naruto then questioned, "Come on, these are my friends. I feel safe with them, I trust them… I screwed up a lot of times in the past, but believing in them isn't something I regret."

"It is dangerous if they know of this, you can believe me on that." Riku said forcefully, before rectifying how he worded it, "If you really value them, then what I'm about to tell and show you shouldn't be heard or seen by them."

"Wait a minute if you could be so kind." Alice said, stepping out with her hands on her hips, her dress waving as she firmly planted her feet to stare at the older boy, "How do we know Naruto will not be in danger, then? If you're taking these precautions for us, why have your friend be at risk? How bizarre is this thing you're talking about?"

"I don't want you to worry about him, but I can promise he will be fine." Riku said, but knew there'd be no arguing that'd benefit him, the girls cared too much for Naruto. Thus, he had to appeal to him, "I'll try to say this much, at least. I have found a way to prevent Naruto from becoming the monster Mirage tried to make out of him."

Jasmine trembled at the mention of that name, fear and anger flashing in her eyes, "Is it true?" if it meant her friend would be safe of that mad feline's claws, she'd do it without a second thought.

Naruto frowned, "How? Not even Genie's magic could-"

"I can't say more with them here." Riku insisted, "What I can show you may put them in danger, Naruto. This is that crazy cat we're talking about, who knows what she'd do to them if they knew."

Terra frowned, "Leaving us in the dark would put us in jeopardy too… Saying you're doing something and claiming it's right doesn't mean you are right."

Riku shook his head, "Naruto, look at me in the eye. I promise you, I came here to help you overcome what darkness could do to you if you fall in Mirage's traps. But if I say what it is, everyone you care about could be in danger. I already knew it'd be hard to believe, but if you listen then you can judge by yourself whether it deserves to be shared or not. I won't question your judgment then."

Alice reached for Naruto, putting her hand on his shoulder, her other summoning her Keyblade to show her determination, "We trust him too, and would only question if his choice hurt him. After all he's done for us in our most dire situations, after the hardships he encountered at our side, the least we can do is believe in him. It is still his choice, but mine is to at least aid him in this quest."

"Alice…" Naruto spoke, putting his hand on hers, "I trust you, Sora, Terra, Jasmine, Steven, Goofy, and even Donald. However, I trust Riku here… If there really is a method, no matter how dangerous it may be, it'll at least help me to not be how Mirage wants me to be. I don't… want to hurt you."

Alice recalled how she saw him give in to his darkness until her own Keyblade broke him out of darkness' grip. Terra remembered it too well, how his desire to protect had turned him into someone, no, something else. Jasmine wasn't fond of the memory, and had chosen to keep it away from her mind at the cruelty the darkness gave him.

"I know it sounds crazy, but the last thing I want is for Naruto to lose his mind to the darkness." Riku declared, "Besides, it'll be best if he can rely on himself more. He won't be able to count on anyone if his heart becomes one with darkness. I'll admit even I know this is a wild gamble, but it's the only sure thing I found."

That gave everyone some pause, "Are you truly sure that this is alright…?" Alice asked as she saw Naruto meditate before the dark Keyblade wielder merely opened his eyes and nodded at the younger blonde.

"I'm sure you, Jasmine, and Terra can take care of me if this doesn't go as planned. If Jasmine has to, she can reverse summon me instantly. You all need some time to relax considering what's happened, and I need to get my own darkness under control. So have fun."

He said with a gentle smile before he closed his eyes again while Riku waited for them to leave, "I'll take care of him, don't worry."

Again, Jasmine saw something off in Riku, but before she could speak, Naruto did.

"Jasmine…" he started, holding up her ring in his left hand, "I wish you and the girls have a nice night while I hear Riku out, and then you three can yell at me if it's really that bad."

The three girls opened their mouths to talk to him, stop him, but Jasmine's right hand went up to snap her fingers.

Riku smiled, "You chose well."

Naruto hung his head low, "No, no I haven't. I will catch Hell from them when this is over… Man, ain't it a kick in the…" he shook his head, "I can't even curse myself enough for this. So please, give me a reason to believe I actually chose well."

"Like I said, it's a wild gamble, so no matter what they will still be mad at you." Riku stated, "And I can't blame them. There is a way to avoid becoming a monster like Mirage tried to make you. Now, this is the part where you will tell me I'm crazy or ask if I've gone crazy. You sure you're ready for it?"

"I don't have much choice after acting like I trust you more than the others." Naruto commented with a pitiful look on his face, dreading what he had done and what it may cause to him in the future.

Riku nodded his head slowly, "This is serious… If you wish to save your heart from darkness, you have to conquer darkness and make it yours."

He was given a look like he had grown a second head by the blond, "Y-You can't be-"

"I am." Riku said, "Think about it. Instead of becoming the prey, you become the predator. I saw you, Naruto. When you took Jafar's heart you didn't succumb to darkness. Mirage gave you every reason she had, but you didn't. If you can keep holding on like that, learning how it happened, then darkness would be yours to command."

"But I don't want it!" Naruto exclaimed, clenching his fists, his body shaking, "Riku… I had never killed someone before. Sure, I know Jafar had it coming, that he was beyond salvation and redemption, but I still did something only people like him and others from my world would do… I saved Jasmine by acting like them. And for a moment it felt… it felt like nothing."

"Do you mean you felt the darkness trying to grip your heart?" Riku asked, honestly curious.

Naruto shook his head, "It was… colder. Like it was just the right thing to do, like walking, breathing… It felt natural. When I realized it, I just nearly lost myself to the darkness again."

"Think back on that." Riku said stoically, "You felt cold, determined. You could feel darkness around you, right? Despite all of that, when the moment of truth came, you say you felt nothing. You with me so far?"

Now it was time for Naruto to be confused, "What're you even getting at?"

"Even if it was an instant, you remained in control before losing it. Regret, guild, fear, anger, you let all those emotions out. What if you could channel them?" Riku asked before raising his right hand, showing an azure fireball, "Like this."

Gaping in awe was our whiskered protagonist's best answer before asking, "How are you even-"

"Doing this?" Riku asked, extinguishing the flame in his hand, "By being in control."

"But it's darkness!" Naruto argued, "If you're not careful, you'd end up like Jafar!"

"Not if my heart is strong, like yours." Riku added, "Think about it. Through all your journey, you may have been surrounded by light, but you've used darkness to get through every ordeal. Now, here you are, still rejecting it."

"Riku, this just isn't like saying I'll learn martial arts, it's… it's like giving up to what others want me to do!" Riku heard the blond speak, but shook his head.

"What do you think would happen if the worlds were free of darkness, if everything really became light?" Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but just couldn't, instead he looked down while Riku continued, "A world of pure light is a lie. Naruto, you know there will always be darkness in people. I can see it in your eyes. When you were betrayed, you must have seen it."

"Even so, I'm not taking the easy way out." Naruto replied, "If I gave in and lost it-"

"You're just scared, I know and I don't blame you." Riku said, "After all, everyone fears for what may happen to you. The girls are afraid of what you may become, Sora and his new friends fear they may have to fight you, Steven is most likely horrified his new friend may not remain who he is, and you are horrified of losing them because of the darkness."

"They're still my friends…" Naruto argued.

"What will happen when there's only light but one shadow, your shadow?" Riku questioned, "Light extinguishes the darkness, and the darkness has to hide from the light. But you, Naruto, are different. You can control the darkness and walk in the light, basking in its warmth. If the darkness really chose you to be its king, you must prove it by conquering it."

The younger boy gripped his fists so hard Riku could see blood coming from the gloves.

It seemed his words hit their mark.

The girls for their part had their doubts, "Oh he just did not force you to get us out." Alice said with puffed cheeks, stomping a foot on the ground, "Riku's words were making sense, but… He could at least let us go out on our own."

Jasmine grabbed Alice's hand with a warm smile, "I understand, but he'll be busy for a little while." With that, all three went off into the streets of Traverse Town. They had to be mindful of the Heartless, but the monsters seemed to be busy with something else at the moment, the few that did crawl around were quickly put down by Alice.

As they walked, Terra told Alice and Jasmine what was on her mind, "I'm… scared for Naruto. What Mirage did to him was frightening, and worse, what Riku told Naruto has made him really shaken up. Like he just couldn't let Naruto choose otherwise. I don't want him to get hurt, and I don't want him to suffer either…"

"Naruto is Naruto, he will never change or become bad, because we'll always be there to remind him of his light." Alice said earnestly, Jasmine looking to the stars above fondly while Terra mulled over her words.

"He told us, that he'd never let his darkness control him, and made a promise too. He wouldn't go back on his word." The genie girl said with a small smile to the green haired lass.

"So… uh… what do we do?" Terra asked, nervously rubbing one arm.

"Indeed, what should we do? We're three young ladies in the middle of a city at night, what could there be for us to do in order to enjoy a wonderful time?" Alice said with a small smile, walking towards an open establishment. There wasn't even any sense in being coy, it was a café with quite delicious looking dishes, pastries and other desserts painted on a board.

Jasmine smiled, clasping her hands, "Well then, it seems our first choice has been made. I've always wanted to see what food could be seen outside the palace…"

With that, the three girls took a seat and looked at the menu. However, "We should still give Naruto a piece of our mind, though… Don't you think?" Terra asked, looking up to her friends.

"Absolutely." Alice nodded her head.

"Definitely." Jasmine added.

 **EMBRACE**

 **ME**

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **! ! !**

"Well… That wasn't… so bad…" Steven panted out while lowering his shield, his legs wobbling before he fell flat on his behind.

"Nah…" Stitch replied before falling down to his knees and then planting his face on the ground.

Turning to his new blue friend, Steven spoke up, "So, where is your ship?" Even with his face on the ground the little fur ball just shrugged his shoulders, "Ok, so we may have to look for it? Do you have any idea where it is? I mean, you do know it is broken."

"Ship broken in space. Monsters shoot Stitch. Stitch jump off and land here." The alien elaborated on his story.

"You just jumped off a crashing ship?" Steven asked, awed, "That's cool… and terrifying, but also really cool. Anyway, you must have seen where it landed, that is why you've been looking for it here in this world, right?"

His friend nodded, moving his face on the ground.

"Alright! All we need to do is-"

There was a loud crashing sound just behind the two, prompting both blue critter and short boy to jump back on their feet. This time a Heartless bigger than usual had arrived, and it was bigger than the others.

It was best described as a large and very cartoonish suit of armor. It was a dark purple set of greaves and gauntlets floating around an upside-down cone-shaped torso with the Heartless symbol on it. Even the head, a helmet with a visor that hid the eyes, floated around the steel torso. What was really worth noting was what it held in one claw. It was a ship, like one would see in a sci-fi cartoon.

Steven and Stitch simply stood where they were, wide-eyed, with the boy pointing a finger up, "I'm guessing that's your ship." Stitch made an affirmative noise, "And it has something you want, right?" another affirmative noise and Steven summoned his shield yet again, "Ok then, Stitch, I need you to be blueberry while I'm the biscuit! Let's show this thing we're Jam Buds!"

While no one would understand what Steven just said, the tiny little ball of fuzz nodded, "Jam Buds!" he cheered, raising his arms.

While the armored boss Heartless stomped at them with its arms flailing midair, the two odd friends rushed forward. When a clawed gauntlet came at the two, Steven reacted first by throwing his shield at the limb, making a dent on the hand. Jumping, the boy managed to catch his unconventional weapon before holding it over his head. Not needing any other word, Stitch jumped on the shield.

"It's dunking time!" Steven shouted, jumping up which helped Stitch jump up higher and latch on the enormous knight Heartless' face. A malicious grin spread on the fuzzy creature's koala-like face when it showed its claws. If it could, the Heartless would have shrieked in fear and pain when Stitch showed his true four-armed form and started to slash at it wildly without letting go.

Using whatever dark matter it had working for a brain, the metallic monster grabbed the blue creature and raised it above his head, ready to throw him to the ground. Stitch struggled in the monster's tight grip and even trying biting it, but it only made it throw him faster to the floor. He bounced up and down like a ball, the angry blue alien snarling furiously until Steven clapped his hands with a grin.

"New schedule, it's slamming time!" He concentrated as pink energy wrapped around Stitch who got the idea easily.

His entire body begun whirling like a buzz saw, making the shield he was wrapped begin whirling itself. This energy buzz saw hummed wildly before Steven shoved his hands forward like he was pushing Stitch along. The giant heartless was blindsided by this attack, being knocked back with its entire body being grinded into it, slowly it stumbled back, before it split up into falling pieces to try and avoid the attack.

It was all for naught as Stitch whirled around the pieces, splitting them into even smaller pieces and then making them explode into smaller pieces. Steven cheered loudly when Stitch bounced down next to him, the alien cheering himself due to the massive damage they inflicted on the Heartless.

Steven raised his hand, taking a moment to examine the amount of fingers/claws Stitch had, "High… four!" His new friend cheered and slapped his palm on the boy's. "Oh man, I can't wait for you to meet the others! With how strong you are, beating up Heartless will be a-"

Clattering noises made all the cheer and joy disappear, and soon both friends turned to see the remains of the large boss Heartless. Its pieces shuddered and floated up, moving like they had no control. Just as it started it was like it ended when every bit of the Heartless stopped midair, before putting itself back together. Its body had cracks over it, but it still stood tall and proud.

"Does it even give up?" Steven asked, feeling the exhaustion from the previous fights slowly settle in.

Just as he and Stitch readied themselves for the next round, a voice interrupted them, "Thanks for weakening it!" said boy turned his head to see Naruto standing on the edge of a building, but no longer looking like he used to. Beside him was Riku, who grinned at the two after calling their attention, "I guess I shall handle this for you two."

No other words were said before the white haired lad leapt into the air, held up his sword, and slashed the monster's torso. Steven and Stitch watched in silent awe as a flash appeared on the Heartless' chest, a thin line that separated its body into two halves. Slowly, said parts slid off, showing that with a single clean slice Riku had killed off the dark being with insane ease.

"Ok, time to test this out." The other taller teen said.

Naruto's eyes were still yellow, but his outfit had changed, or rather lost some bits. His clothes were back to being a stylish purple cloak with no armor to it, black pants, and black muscle shirt. No longer did he have the Heartless emblem on him, and his Keyblade looked the same as when he got it. It was back to having a simple body like a rapier with no guard, and he held it towards the dying Heartless.

"You're doing well." Riku said with an approving nod, "You wanted to protect your friend, so you have to command darkness like a true king. However, it only works because this one has been greatly weakened by your friend. Next time, you won't be so lucky to stop the Heartless, at least until you grow in power."

As usual, a large heart appeared from its remains, floating towards the blond boy's Keyblade. Steven, however, grunted a bit, holding a hand to his gem in pain while he watched the events unfold. Naruto for his part merely let out a breath he had been holding as his weapon consumed the dark heart.

"It still… feels awful…" Naruto let out with a groan.

"It shows your heart's too strong to give in to the darkness. On the outside you look as weak as when you first obtained that key, but now I bet you're even stronger than before we met." Riku stated calmly.

"Naruto!" Steven called out, running towards him, even if he couldn't climb up to the building's rooftop. "What's going on?! What did you just do?!"

Riku grinned, answering for the blond, "He just learned how to not get eaten by his own darkness." With that said he stepped back into a Dark Corridor, "I'll leave this to you, you're free to explain it to them."

The small boy turned to his blond friend, who merely sighed and rubbed the back of his head, "It's a long story…" the whiskered Keyblade user answered to the question he knew he'd get, before noticing the blue little guy, "Uh, who is that?"

"It's also a long story." Steven said, putting his hands on his hips, "But I bet it's shorter than you telling me how you did that, why you did that, and how come you're not wearing any of that creepy RPG-esque armor? I mean, it looked cool on you and everything, but I thought you looked less normal the more Hearts that key ate."

Looking away, Naruto tried to answer his friend, "Listen… I'd never do anything to harm you or the others." He ruffled his hair a bit, before pulling it back, leaving it slightly slicked, "I've just learned how to stop letting the darkness get any control over me. I can keep it under control now."

"But…?" Steven said, actually looking serious.

The whiskered kid locked eyes with the shorter boy, "It's the only choice I have now, that's all I know." He lifted his incomplete Keyblade, staring at it intently, "It's either this or once again losing my mind to Mirage or this thing."

The bushy haired kid's eyes softened, "That's not true." He put a hand to his chest, "Maybe my heart isn't as strong as yours, but you got me to count on, and Alice, and Jasmine, and Terra, and Sora, and Goofy, and even Donald and Leon. I also bet that if we meet Connie, she'd have your back too. So just don't say you don't have a choice, there's plenty of people who don't want you to think like that-"

Steven didn't say a thing, for his friend had taken a moment to hug him. Instead, the sandals wearing boy smiled and patted his friend's back. After some needed silence, Naruto took a step back and avoided looking at his small friend. The shield user did grin when seeing that a large smile appeared on the yellow-eyed blond boy's face.

"Thanks… Just… Thanks… I really needed to hear someone say that, at least once." Naruto said before turning to Steven with a genuine smile filled with determination, "Ok, there's no way I'm losing to this darkness or whatever next time we're in a pinch. I'll win with all I have, that's a promise!"

Steven chuckled, "Good, pinky promise, then!" he held out his pinky finger for Naruto to hook his with, but just as he was about to, another pinky finger appeared, a blue, clawed one.

"Hi…"

"Oh yeah, forgot about introducing you two." Steven said like he had just forgotten a penny back at home.

Thus, introductions were made…

"Are you serious?" Naruto asked, staring at the blue creature now that he and Steven went to meet the girls in the small plaza of District 1.

Steven nodded, "How could I not be? He needs our help, he's stuck here, and he is super strong!"

Terra for her part had knelt down before the creature and stared intently at it, while Alice voiced her thoughts, "Steven, I don't doubt you for a second, but… there's something in him that feels odd." she stared at Stitch, who had extended his tongue and shoved it into one of his nostrils to eat a bugger. After getting her nausea under control, but keeping a shade of grin on her face.

Jasmine was already out of her ring, appearing with a tail of smoke instead of legs, "I also feel it." the now genie said, "It's like there's some darkness in him, and yet… it feels like Naruto's in an odd way."

The blond sighed, trying to think of something logical… until, "We keep it!" Terra cheered, lifting Stitch in both arms with the brightest, happiest face no one thought the shy girl could be possible of having, "He's so fluffy! We have to keep him! Please!"

The rest of the group was taken aback while the woman hugged Stitch to her body, her arms under his armpits while keeping his head under her chest and his eyes on them. Seeing the green head hold the small creature currently picking its ear with a claw like a girl with a puppy made the blond less indecisive. After all, how could he say no to Terra the first time he ever saw her smile like this?

"If he can fight it won't hurt to have him around." He replied calmly.

Steven was about to cheer, but Terra beat him to it by lifting the blue ball of fur with a delighted smile, "We're going to be best of friends! I'll bathe you, feed you, and give you lots of love and attention!" she proceeded to affectionately rub her cheek on the blue creature's head, much to Stitch's chagrin. Such a sight would make many men want to be on the creature's place.

"It should probably come as no surprise that things are a mess in the worlds." A gruff voice said, "Now, I ain't gonna grab you by the diapers and tell you where to and where not to go. It'd be pretty stupid of me since we do need you guys to keep fighting and stopping those Heartless. What I can do is give you kids a helping hand."

"What do you mean exactly, Mr. Cid?" Alice asked, polite as ever.

Cid frowned, "No Mr. stuff, kiddo, I ain't old enough to grow gray hairs yet. And that'd be Mr. Highwind… Anyway, before I ramble off, I do help Sora with his ship and I run a good business taking care of anything that needs a good engineer. I say this because your new friend happens to be a client of mine."

Terra looked down at the blue koala-like creature she had been petting, "You mean cute little Stitch?"

Cid frowned further, "Cute? Little? Lady, that guy there just carried his own broken ship over his head and told me to fix it by droppin' the thing on my workshop. Let me tell you, if there weren't kids around I'd have some words with it that shouldn't be heard by ankle biters."

"Hey!" Alice, Naruto and Steven shouted.

Merely ignoring them while playing with the stick in his mouth, Cid continued, "Well, that little flea bag better be thankful he's friends with you, because just now I fixed somethin', alright."

Without warning, he threw four odd objects Naruto, Alice, and Jasmine had never seen before. Terra and Steven's eyes widened at the sight. Stitch merely leapt off Terra's still loving embrace and grabbed them, one in each of his four arms. They were small orange pistols with a cartoonish yet futuristic design. Now giving no warning of his own, Stitch took aim at a nearby empty bottle in a far off dumpster.

After pulling the trigger, a green ball of hot plasma hit the bottle, blowing it to pieces and melting the base. Seeing the destruction, Stitch gained the same maniacal grin Steven saw him use when the small fur ball started fighting the large living armor Heartless. He even gave a loud, cheerful and quite malicious laugh before twirling each gun in his hands.

"I'm both terrified and glad we have you on the team." Naruto declared with an arched eyebrow.

Stitch gave a friendlier grin while stretching a hand to the blond, "Stitch wants to find family." The small gunslinger said, "Have to find Lilo."

Naruto shook his hand, giving him a small smile, "We're all looking for someone or something, so you're more than welcome."

 **YOU**

 **ATTEMPT**

 **TO**

 **CONTROL**

 **ME**

 **YET**

 **WE**

 **SHALL**

 **ONLY**

 **GROW**

 **CLOSER**

 **. . .**

 **XXXXXX**

And that's my rap!

With this we have a nice little adventure in which Steven finds and befriends the group's newest member, and set things up for the next chapter. However, as you may be intrigued, Naruto will try to learn to actually control his own darkness. Whether it benefits Kaguya, Mirage, or neither depends on how strong he can be.

I wanted to do this kind of take on mastering the darkness since in many works of fiction it always ends with someone becoming an evil jerk, like Riku when he was influenced by Ansem. Or for a better example, Sasuke. Here Naruto will try his best to help his friends even if he has to use the darkness.

Yes, it is the same as before, but now rather than feeling forced to use it, he tries to master it while reminding himself of who and what he's fighting for.

I am making it sound way too melodramatic, aren't I?

And now, to answer some possible questions:

- **Why did Naruto keep the secret of what his training is about?** Riku touched a nerve when pointing out he could be shunned because of his link to the darkness. Naruto's life has been one in which he has been lonely for the most part, so to him the possibility of losing some genuine friends… Well, you can see how that can affect a child with a backstory as messed up as him.

- **What did Naruto do to control his darkness?** I am keeping that a secret and will only reveal it later on. It's something he really doesn't want to tell his friends, I'll say that much.

- **Are the girls mad at him, will they lecture him?** No and sort of yes, they are a bit understanding but, like Steven, want to have Naruto trust them more.

- **Can Naruto control Heartless now?** No, far from it. If he were to be the King of Darkness, that'd mean he'd have control over them, but it'd also mean that the darkness would have his heart.

- **Will you stop teasing us about what the voice talking between scene transitions is and tell us who or what it is?** It's basically the darkness, the voice, I mean. And yes, she does have a physical form, but what it is that is something I'll keep to myself until the revelation comes.

- **What's Kaguya's main plan?** This Kaguya you're seeing here is a Heartless, her Nobody is the one sealed in Naruto's world. It's both to expand on the universe here, and to explain why in the Naruto-canon Naruto himself described her as unable to love or however that went. So this Kaguya being a Heartless means her main plan is to spread darkness and serve her future king when he becomes a full-fledged tyrant.

The Nobody, on the other hand, has her plans tied to the plot of Kingdom Hearts, and that's as far as I'm going to avoid spoiling much.

- **What's up with changing Naruto's clothes, did you grow tired and decided to go back to his first look?** It's more to show Naruto's gained more control over the darkness. When he absorbed hearts before this his powers and even his appearance changed. If he really wanted to cut loose, he'd get more pieces of armor. If he lost control, he'd be trapped in the armor as a mere canned puppet for the darkness.

- **Why did you make Stitch speak broken English?** I do recall some bits of his movie, so forgive my bad memory if that's not accurate. A few clips I watched showed him speaking good English while others showed him talking broken English, thus I went for what felt more "alien" with him, so to speak.

That'll be all for now.

Swordslinger out!


	10. Fight, fight, fight!

I OWN NOTHING

Given the fact the previous chapter was so well received and that I want to keep improving everything I do in this site regardless of what some may think, I'll keep giving it my all here.

 **XXXXXX**

Fight, fight, fight!

 **SHOW**

 **ME**

 **IF**

 **YOU**

 **CAN**

 **BET**

 **IT**

 **ALL**

While the girls were having their fun, even if Naruto forced them while regretting doing so, things with him and Riku were questionable. Steven and Stitch were battling a giant boss Heartless but the blond was oblivious to it. He had a good reason to, not the fact that the noise didn't reach him though that was one factor. No, what would keep him frozen in place were Riku's words.

"To control the darkness, you have to face your own." The albino started, "You've felt that part of you take over, I bet. Your eyes and armor say so. It's slowly taking control over you yet you are still you."

"My head hurt at the last part." Naruto said with squinted eyes, resisting the urge to rub his noggin.

"To put it simply, it is a part of you. I don't mean like it's the darkness that you have claimed, but the one you were born with." The older boy smiled, "Think on it, hearts are all born with light and darkness. Both are options."

"Ok, so how do I face it?" Naruto asked with his arms crossed, paying full attention.

"You have to give in to it." Riku said simply.

Our whiskered hero's mind didn't find it as easy as his friend said it was, "Are you crazy?!" he snapped, eyes wide in shock, "How's giving up going to help me win?! Besides, if the others knew, I-"

"That's it, Naruto." Riku said, "You can't control your darkness unless you learn to embrace it. You're afraid those girls and Steven will not trust you… Couldn't blame you, though, the girls are pretty."

"This isn't funny, Riku." Naruto really needed something more reassuring, "Why should I let it take control over me? That's too risky."

"And that is why it's best if they do not know." Riku stated, "They'll believe in you, so long as you keep this a secret. They'll see you overcoming and controlling your darkness while remaining yourself. However, if they learned it was because you let it embrace your heart, they will fear you. It is as I've said. When all worlds are filled with light, you'd be the last shadow to live in this world. You'd never really be one of them."

Gritting his teeth, Naruto replied, "I know that, you don't have to tell me twice. But even if darkness gives me strength, I want to fight for those who look for their own light. You, Sora, Kairi, Alice, Jasmine, Terra, Steven, Connie, everyone here… even that jackass of Leon. I don't want to let down those who trust me."

"Yet you know they will keep their distance if they learned of this." Riku pointed out, "Face it, Naruto, they all have already taken a step back. This armor may have even shown the reflections of their terrified faces as they did so. However, if you embrace that which they think they are, you can show them how wrong they are. You may remain in the darkness, but you'd fight for yourself."

"They've fought for me just the same, I can't spit on their kindness just like that!" he shouted, trembling in anger at how weak he felt. Riku's words rang true, and he desired power to protect them. But was the cost worth it?

Riku knew, "Then have Mirage recall them that you gave in to your darkness, have her tell them how you succumbed to it. Naruto, please think on it. Use their trust to your advantage. If they just see the results, you can always earn their trust through actions. If they learned the truth, they'd think there's no helping someone who lives in darkness. After all, through this journey you've never used the power of light."

The younger boy's body shook, making his friend sigh and pat his shoulder, "Why does it have to be this way? There has to be a way they won't fear me for using this power."

"It's not your fault." Riku said reassuringly, "There's people that have tried to control your life for their own gain, I've seen it. Now it's time for you to take what they gave you and make your own choices."

With fists clenched, Naruto lowered his head, "What… do I do…?"

Riku smiled softly at his friend, "It won't be easy. You'll have to face your very own darkness. What happens then depends on you, but you must not lose, no matter what."

With a nod, Naruto let Riku show him what to do. The green eyed teen raised his hand, darkness swirling around his palm before he struck his friend in the chest. Naruto gasped when the fist sunk into his heart, the darkness in it and that of his friend connecting into a portal. Riku closed his eyes while Naruto's went blank, pulling his hand from his friend's torso when he was done.

"I have faith in you, My Liege." The mop haired dark boy said, bowing to the blond. "May the true Naruto Uzumaki win."

It was then that Naruto found himself in a familiar place. A circular platform made of crystal, surrounded by the void of darkness. But things were far from simple. He looked down to see the image on the floor. It was… himself. All around him was a circle of red whirlpools, while he leaned back with his hand clutching his incomplete Keyblade. On the other side, in smaller circles, were the faces of his first real friends.

And standing on them, with his back turned to him, was a youth with a familiar purple cloak. Over their head was a familiar hood, hiding their face, but their back had a far more familiar emblem. "Gotta hand it to Ricky, he sure knows how to make one feel loved." He said with dark mirth before turning to his double, "Yo… Name's… Oh, right, I forgot… You're still the one in control. Not that you'll be for much longer."

Naruto watched the hooded figure pull out the same Keyblade as him, but there was more. This figure's keychain was sunk into his chest! Reacting on instinct, Naruto pulled out his own Keyblade, readying himself for battle with the incomplete sword held high. The hooded boy merely showed a dark smirk beneath his hood's shadow.

"So this is what Riku meant." Naruto said coldly, feeling his body tense, "I can tell… Just being close to you, I can feel it. Every time I grew too angry, every time I lost control, it was you. You're… me… and I'm you."

"Right you are!" the figure said before pulling back his hood, revealing yellow eyes with pitch black sclera, "Boy, you really know how to kill my buzz, though! I was expecting denial right from the start! Promises? What good are they when it's from a girl who never cared for us and her selfish crush?! Friendship? Good luck reaching someone who's succumbed even easier to the darkness!"

The original Naruto grit his teeth, "Promises?! Yeah, I'll keep my promise, to bring Sora, Riku and Kairi back together! Friendship?! I don't care what the Leaf may say, I'm sticking with those three to the very end!"

The dark Naruto cackled, a wicked smirk on his face, "That's rich! You think they will help you?! That they won't turn on you when they learn more about us?! Did you forget how everyone treated you because of the fox? Learn to see reality, pal, it's the same story all over again. The only difference is that you can't hide this new you."

"That's because I'm not going to let them down!" Naruto snapped.

"You're still fighting for others, not for you." The dark one replied, nearly giggling, "Get real. Being Hokage? That dream would mean to be a slave to the Leaf. Like you were turned to be the guardian of those that refused to acknowledge your very existence. Even then, they only praise you when you're useful to them, not because you are worth admiring. That's how friendship really works, even with So-"

"Don't you dare say their names!" Naruto dashed, his Keyblade held in both hands and clashing with his doppelganger's, "I refuse to let you speak of them after what they did for me!"

"They know nothing of who you are!" his copy said before they kicked the other in the stomach, pushing each other back, "Can't you feel all the hatred for those lies in the Leaf? How many times have you been forced to do things you shouldn't? Working for people who won't even throw a bone your way even if you act like a good pet fox?! You should have ended that joke by killing Sasuke instead of holding back!"

Rushing once again, both blonds slashed at each other with wild swipes. Steel met steel and sparks flew yet didn't scratch the blades. The echoing clash of metal echoed in the darkness while both didn't dare give the other the upper hand. Naruto's eyes narrowed while his double's shone with glee, the original blond bore his teeth like a righteous beast while his other self smiled excitedly.

In a split second both jumped back, their left hands glowing with fire as Naruto shouted, "I already killed once!" There was an explosion, yet both combatants charged through and were at yet another stalemate, "Had I ended his life then and there, you'd be out." Naruto growled.

"I'd have made sure no one hurt us ever again!" the dark Naruto shouted, pushing back.

"By killing them too?!" Naruto roared.

His dark self smiled more, "You need to make them pay for all the wrong things they did to you, otherwise they'd never stop abusing you! And what's worse, no matter what you do there'll always be people like him! Jafar, Maleficent, Kaguya, Mirage, Akatsuki, no matter what side you're on, they always want power! If you don't fight, you're dead meat! It's like Kaguya said, in this world you have to kill or be killed!"

There was a loud smack when Naruto managed to punch his other self right in the face, making him stagger back, "I get it now…" Naruto said, twirling his Keyblade in his hand while his other self groaned and stared at him with wide eyes at the fact he had been hit, "You're both what I hate about every world and myself…"

The dark one widened his eyes when the original Naruto stabbed his Keyblade on the ground, "What do you think you're doing? Do you think you can beat me unarmed?" he growled when he got no response, "Fine, it shall be easier to get this done!"

Thus he charged at the original Naruto with his Keyblade held high, but our hero wasn't even fazed. Taking a step forward, Naruto punched his dark side once again right in the face, using a perfect cross counter, "That kill or be killed trash!" Naruto shouted, while his dark side's legs wobbled, punching him in the gut, "It's like you or Kaguya don't believe there's something worth fighting for in this life!"

Stepping back, the dark Naruto gritted his teeth, "Grk… How did he? You're me! How are you even doing this?!"

He felt a hook to his jaw, "Because, unlike you, I don't want to give in to that kind of crap!" he emphasized that with a head-butt.

"W-Why…? How did-" the dark Naruto was further silenced by his other self jumping and bringing down his fist on his face.

"You're right on many things. People like Jafar, there's plenty. But people like Sora are the kind I want to fight for!" he pulled back his fist for a straight punch.

However, "I see." His dark self replied, catching the first before it hit him, gripping the arm by the wrist to pull Naruto for an elbow strike to his face, "That's what's holding you down!" he emphasized the last word as Naruto backpedaled with a kick to his side, "The idea that someone can love us regardless of how tainted we are by the sins of others! The Fourth, the fox, Kaguya, the darkness! They ruined your chances!"

Naruto ground his teeth as his double dropped his Keyblade, grabbed his head with both hands, and brought his knee to the original whiskered boy's face, "Ugh… dammit…" the one still clinging to his light grunted while his other self walked forward with a cocky step.

"Got you, didn't I?" the dark blond chuckle, "Fighting for total strangers so they love you, even if they will have to realize you'll never be like them. It's like back at the Leaf, only that you want to think it'll make a difference." He kicked Naruto right in the face thrice in a row, getting him to bend back from the strike, "Sasuke showed you, didn't he?! People like us are tools because we were born under someone's rules!"

Even with his head ringing form the kick, Naruto showed great determination by grabbing his double's ankle, pulling him for a lightning fast hook to his face, "And like you said, it's time I make my own rules!" he delivered another hook, followed by a straight punch, "That's why, even if you're me, I'm not letting you say how I have to live my life! I'm still the one in charge, darkness or not!"

"You…" his dark side growled, grabbing his face with one hand, showing only one eye peeking through his fingers. The black and yellow orb twitched in pure rage, "You! You think this is a joke?! That just by saying that you can change things?! Learn to face yourself, pal! I'm you for a reason! I carry all of your darkness for you, and I'm sick of it! You think just because I'm here that I'm not real! I'm even more real than you!"

"I'd rather be a fake than a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum because things don't go his way!" Naruto shot back while throwing himself forward, punching his double once again across the face.

The dark side growled, throwing his head back to smash his forehead on his other self's, "We'll never be like them, you got to realize sooner or later that you will never be one of them!" he grabbed Naruto by one shoulder, pulling back his other hand to punch him with each statement, "They will question why you exist! Riku knows there's no saving you from the darkness! And you can't even save anyone when it matters!"

After the third punch, Naruto was down and flat on his face while his dark self walked closer with a sneer, "Then…" Naruto started, getting up on wobbly legs before, "I won't get killed, and I'll protect them!"

"Them?" the dark eyed blond questioned before looking down at the crystal platform with Sora, Riku and Kairi's faces smiling, "The three people that life decided to not let you know. The boy that you always wanted to have as a brother to play with. The guy that you wished to have as a cool big brother to support you. The girl you desired as a sister to make you smile and feel loved…"

Naruto was about to reply, but froze when his double summoned his Keyblade to his side and in a single swing destroyed the pictures of his friends, "Y-You!" Naruto snapped, summoning his own sword and slashing at his other self, "How dare you?!"

Grinning cruelly, the double cackled, "It's because you dared fool yourself! You know that you're clinging to them! Your heart desires to feel warmth, to feel loved. But the truth is that will be a lie. Iruka hated you and only respected you because he felt pity! The Fourth's word was useless to stop everyone from hating you! Sakura asked you to save Sasuke no matter what, like you were a toy to her! That's your life!"

"They're not like them!"

"What makes you so sure they'll be different?!"

Pulling back, both Narutos threw a fire enhanced fist at the other, their knuckles crashing and causing a spark. The collision sent the two boys flying back, Naruto rolling down until he nearly fell off the edge. He quickly grabbed a hold of it and tried to climb back up, but found his hand stomped by his other self. The dark eyed Naruto smirked while crushing his other self's fingers.

"Dammit…"

"They will always fear what you can become, just like you know Jiraiya fears you may have unleashed the fox." The doppelganger added pressure to Naruto's hand, enjoying how he cringed, "Everyone will fear you, so why not become a king?"

"What're you, nuts?!" Naruto shouted.

His dark side grinned wider, "Imagine if I could rule all worlds, I'd bring those who do wrong down to their knees."

"You'd be a tyrant only if the darkness doesn't control you!"

"I'd still give people peace!" the dark eyed blond said, stomping on Naruto's hand and watching him hang by the other. "I want them to fear me. Had Sasuke feared me, he'd never have left the village. Had Sakura feared me, she'd had respected me. Had Jiraiya truly feared me, he'd have taken me seriously."

"No, I don't want that!" Naruto screamed, "I don't want to be the monster they marked me as!"

"Yet you always felt that way." The shadowy blond retorted, crouching before his other, "They made us feel like a monster, so what's so wrong about making them regret that?"

"I want to be with my friends!" was the original's reply, "I don't care about a throne, for once in my life it feels like I can be myself with others!"

"This is your real self, pal!" the dark eyed blond shouted, bringing his foot down, "Lie to yourself all you want, and I'll show you who the fake is!"

With a single stomp, Naruto let out a loud cry as he fell back. He watched the crystalline platform breaking, shattering and falling down while his other self laughed loudly.

While he fell he could see the pieces that his other had shattered, falling at his side. Sora's face was set in a wide goofy and very friendly grin, his hand stretched forward to anyone who needed it. Riku had his confident smirk, yet his gloved hand also reached forward, giving his cocky expression a reassuring air. Kairi had the brightest loving smile he had ever seen, her hand holding the amulet she made for their trip.

And more joined in. Alice was there in another crystal, her Keyblade resting on her shoulder while she reached to him with her hand. Steven had his shield up and his ever charming grin with his hand held high for a high-five. Terra had a small, shy smile on her face as she placed one hand on her chest and the other was stretched forward. Jasmine held her ring in one hand, holding it for him to accept it with a warm grin.

"Darkness… gives me strength…" Naruto clenched his Keyblade tighter, "But it's their light that guides me!"

The dark Naruto was baffled, before snorting and then howling in laughter, "Pfft! Ahahahahaha! Are you for real?! That's the stupidest thing I've heard in my life! You think that clinging to them can save you?!"

To make his point, the dark double brought up his fire covered hand to try to end the fight once and for all. He certainly didn't expect what he saw next. All the shards that were around Naruto pulled themselves together, forming a platform! The double yelped when it flew up, getting Naruto to face him in a split second with his incomplete sword ready.

"You're right! I'm afraid, I hate everything the darkness, Kaguya, Akatsuki, and everything has done to ruin my life, and I am desperate to cling to my friends!" Naruto swung his Keyblade to the side, the darkness receding and soon his armor followed, leaving him in the clothes Sora and Riku handed him and his purple cloak. His Keyblade itself was back to the form when he first gripped it.

The double's dark eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, "That's impossible!"

"I know I'm not the greatest or most selfless guy, but even someone like me wants to still fight for something good!"

The two blonds raced at each other, swords held up and brought down. The clash of steel rung through the air, followed by the cracking of a blade. Naruto's other self grunted with gritted teeth when his Keyblade snapped in half, Naruto's sinking into his chest. With his dark eyes widened in realization of his defeat and his strength leaving him, the double fell on the original's shoulder.

And yet, Naruto held him up, "Wha…" he tried to question it, but felt too weak to form coherent sentences.

Naruto closed his eyes tightly, pulling his other self into a hug, "I know you better than anyone, dammit. I have tried to keep these bad thoughts out of my mind, but… I got to thank you… From now on, I'll try to face things instead of hiding them. So until then, rest here… I'll make sure to protect them and myself so we can all enjoy a better life."

The dark one smiled nastily, "Idiot… You won't escape me. You're me, and I'm you… Sooner or later, you have to face these desires of yours… to bring peace in your life by ruling over everything… That's the only way you can protect them, isn't it?! To fight the monsters out there, you have to be an even worse monster! Hahaha… ahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Naruto pulled back his sword, holding it up, "Goodbye then." And with a clean cut, his other's laughter stopped.

Soon the platform was rebuilt, with all of the faces he saw falling down put together. Taking a deep breath the blond hefted his sword on his shoulder and looked at his own image on the platform. It may have been his imagination, but his painting seemed to be smiling. However, he noted yet another change. There was something embracing him from behind, a dark figure that now stood before him.

"Quite a good show…" she said.

It was a cute little girl around Alice's age with the same kind of innocent appearance, and all likeness ended there. Her skin was extremely pale, she was whiter than milk, which gave her round, sharp-eyed face a ghostly look. Long black hair reached her knees, with evenly cut bangs over her delicate eyebrows. A black robe with long sleeves covered her body, with a red sash keeping it closed and a shattered heart brooch.

Her eyes, however, were pitch black, endless pools of darkness. She moved forward without walking, her dainty feet floating inches over the crystal platform. Her robe flowed behind, making her look even more like a specter. But her smile, so innocent and full of joy at just seeing him, made him feel fear. She wasn't smiling to mock him, she smiled because she knew how powerful she really was.

"Are you… the Kyuubi…? Is this were you have been?" lore from his village said kitsune could change into women to lure men.

She giggled with a sleeve near her mouth, "That innocence you hold on to is so intoxicating. Uhuhuhu…" she giggled darkly, the girly laughter making him go tense, "But your desires are far more enrapturing."

Showing his sword, he took a step back, "Who or what are you?"

The pale girl gave him a warm smile, and as soon as it came the right corner of her mouth curled up into a wicked smirk, "I really can't get enough of your battles and how you use my strength… I really can't wait for us to be together, my king."

"You-" he tried to make sense, but the girl merely waved her hand at him.

Everything turned black, and soon he felt like he were waking up.

 **I**

 **SHALL**

 **GUIDE**

 **YOU**

 **FOR**

 **YOU**

 **ARE**

 **MINE**

 **ALONE**

Naruto opened his eyes, finding himself back… home?

With a shocked expression, he spun his head left and right, knowing where he was but unable to believe it. He stood atop the Hokage's building, and the sight before him wasn't the Leaf he knew and grew in.

Fire. As far as the eye could see there pillars of fire were burning the entire village. The flames consumed shinobi academy, the remains of the district the Uchiha clan had for generations, and there were large scorch marks on the Hokage monuments. The buildings and the streets were practically flooded with Heartless, all of which took notice of him… and bowed.

And behind him he heard that girl again, "This is the end of the world that didn't deserve you. You thought you could save them, thought you be their hero. But why not be its true ruler?"

Turning around he was shocked to find a large throne made of darkness. Massive red spikes decorated the sides, the arms were designed like ferocious beasts, and the shattered heart emblem was there in display. She sat there, the emblem hovering over her small body while she giggled at his mixture of expressions. Anger, horror, confusion, all merged when he saw her.

"This isn't real…" he said, closing his eyes, "This is an illusion…"

"Right you are, my king." The girl said, clapping. He opened his eyes to find a row of still living people kneeling before him, "The light won't help you no more, for I am all you need to bring this and all worlds down to their knees. Everything you hate shall be turned to ashes. All you have to do is remain yourself and this could be yours."

"What do you mean remain myself? This isn't what I want." He said with disgust in his voice.

The girl gave him a one-eyed stare, keeping a small grin before snapping her fingers, "Are you sure?" to his shock and horror, someone familiar to him appeared, chained and down on her knees.

"Aqua!" he cried, trying to reach the blue haired young woman, but another snap of the girl's fingers had her disappear in a cloud of smoke. Clenching his Keyblade, he faced the little girl.

"She was another illusion, worry not." She said before another snap had a fake Sakura bow and feed her, to Naruto's unending horror, hearts. The girl merely took one in her hand, opened her mouth wide like it was a snake's mouth complete with large predatory fangs, and gobbled it. She didn't even chew, she swallowed it in one go!

Naruto gaped as she squealed at the taste, "What are you?"

She continued speaking, ignoring his question, "Uhuhuhu… That hit the spot… Hearts of filled with greed are best when they lose it all. Yet I still desire that Aqua girl's to roll in my palate but alas, she is one strong young woman." She grinned, "But for you, I'd be willing to let her out, only if you can show yourself worthy of my gift."

He narrowed his eyes at the dark eyed girl, "You can't be serious. You're the reason I have to use this sword and fight for you?"

The smirk she gave him before returned, full of confidence and predatory power, making him feel like an ant before this… this being, "The heart I just ate was Jafar's." Akin to the sensation of falling down, Naruto felt his stomach sink at what he just heard, "But your heart… Oh, that is a fine treat indeed."

Gasping, Naruto gripped his chest with one hand, falling down to one knee. He stared as his own heart pulsed and flew out of his chest, right to the girl's hand. His every fiber screamed at him to do something, to fight, to say something, to will it back. And yet, when she touched it, he felt… at ease. He felt peaceful. He felt good beyond compare. It wasn't like when Kaguya tried to grip his heart, this felt better.

It was sickeningly pleasurable, "L-Let go!" he choked out with flushed cheeks.

The girl pulled his heart close and kissed it, causing him to shudder, "Ah, such a sweet thing. So much rage, sorrow, despair, loneliness, greed, and yet so many hopes and dreams, so much concern and love… I knew I chose well. Uhuhu… If only this heart had succumbed, it'd have made a disappointing meal, but even now I couldn't eat it."

With a flick of her wrist, she returned his heart back where it had to be, inside of him, "What're you playing at?" he growled, unsure of whether to fight her or run. He just saw his heart taken by a whim, this girl was beyond Mirage and Kaguya in too many ways. Just her ghostly way to move towards him like a floating shadow was unnerving enough.

"I am who has chosen you, my king." She giggled, "You think you're worthy of love, yet your own people casted you aside and greedily kept the light for themselves regardless of your unwilling sacrifice. I, however, want you to truly rule over them. My plan isn't genocide, my dear lord, it is to make those who walked over others to reach the light pay the price for casting us into their shadows."

She whirled around him like a ballerina, her arms held skyward as the clouds gathered above them pitch black and swarming with darkness. If Naruto squinted he could even see yellow pin-pricks of light. His heart fell into despair and fear for those weren't clouds. They were swarms of heartless, hundreds, thousands, millions? There were so many they blotted out the sky above.

With a mere gesture they shot down over the Leaf, forming living pillars not unlike fire-ants working together in tandem. From each pillar of moving heartless came an entire horde that consumed all of his village in a black cloak. He saw everything like from a TV-screen, his old comrades attacked and devoured whole by the Heartless.

Tsunade was trying in vain to reach where she saw he was before she was engulfed in darkness, transformed into a heartless herself due to her powerful heart. All around him every one of the village people who once scorned him begging for his help before they too were consumed.

Before he could even reach out in terror, the heartless shot up like a great wave and towards him, his screams muffled by their cloying bodies. It was dark, so very dark. He could see nothing, hear no words, feel no touch, smell no scent, and taste nothing but the pitch black around him. When the girl cuddled up against him, he let loose a gasp of pure pleasure as her presence warmed his body and soothed his fear.

"Isn't it wonderful? My little children, their cries are quite jubilant indeed when they're near you… **My King, their father!** "

The girl wrapped her arms around him, her eyes gaining a pure yellow color as her entire body lost its shade, becoming pitch black save for her features. "What're you-" and she cut him off with a deep kiss. Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as pitch black lips claimed his. His whole body shuddered in delight at how warm her embrace and lips felt, her body being so soft and…

" **In due time, all worlds will fall by your hand my king. Everyone you know, who lead you astray from your true fate, will be destroyed by me. They keep us apart, lie to you, give you nothing but ask everything from you in return. Rejoice my love, because soon, I will be able to manifest myself in this world. Kingdom Hearts, my Kingdom of Hearts, and the Key that will open the path to our realm…** "

Above them, the only light that shone down was that of a moon in the shape of a heart. In front of them, glowing like a radiant beacon in the dark was a weapon that seemed to be formed from two Keyblades combined, forming a massive sword like shape.

A name went unbidden in his mind, a quiet boyish voice bitterly murmuring, "The Kye-blade…"

Just as quickly as that voice faded, a memory that wasn't his to begin with, another symbol appeared briefly in his mind, a floating x… Or was it a symbol shaped like a cross? Either way, he knew it wasn't his memories that were flowing into his mind, but those of the dark girl embracing him.

He briefly came out of his daze, shaking his head. He wanted to say something along the lines of, "Why does my first kiss with a girl have to be this weird?" but she put a pitch black finger to his lips, her own curling into a loving smile.

" **Soon, we will be together as one, my love…** "

And with that said, she opened her mouth to engulf his in another kiss.

It was with a gasp that Naruto jumped off his bed and landed on his face right on the floor, groaning. Riku for his part stared at him in amazement, "Yo… How did it go?" he tried to play it cool, but whatever happened would show what kind of man was fit to be his king.

Holding his head with a grimace, Naruto answered, "Did you have to fight a jerk version of yourself and get teased by a girl in the worst way possible?"

"Uh, no, and I don't have a smart comeback to that." The silver haired lad admitted awkwardly.

Naruto finally got up, "Then… let me say I feel dirty…" he shuddered, "I had to fight, and then I met some girl, she…"

Riku smiled with a raised eyebrow, "Whoa, let's make sure the girls and Steven aren't close if you want to share the details."

Growling, Naruto retorted, "It's not like that. But…" he placed a hand to his chest, taking in a deep breath, "I got it under control now."

Widening his smile, Riku nodded, "Then how about you show me?"

 **THE**

 **TASTE**

 **OF**

 **YOUR**

 **LIPS**

 **IS**

 **SUCH**

 **A**

 **DELIGHT**

 **! ! !**

"Afufufu… such an interesting development."

Kaguya was pleased, nay, she was more than giddy at the news her loyal brainwashed knight told her. Her king had come into contact with darkness itself, shown he was the superior one, and met her.

"I guess I can never underestimate the power of one's heart." Riku said while kneeling, "Sora's and now Naruto's heart. One got the Keyblade away from me and the other is the darkness' treasure."

"Dear child, manners." The goddess said, but couldn't hold her soft smile as she looked down from the top of Hollow Bastion to a world swarming with Heartless, "Sooner or later, there will be a ruler to destroy the light's doing on us. The people that took the light once given to them, and threw the likes of us into the shadows bowing down to our king."

"May I ask now, why Naruto?" Riku finally said, "You were never clear on why the darkness chose him. I believe in him, I expect him to keep surprising me, but what made him so special?"

Kaguya's smile disappeared, "Allow me to tell you a story, Riku, of a man who could have given his child everything." She paused, and when hearing no reply she continued, "This man had love and was to be gifted with a son. A boy who would have been blessed with talent, love, and power. That was… if the man had not been consumed by his own light."

"Wait, I have seen the light at work. How can its power just consume someone?" There was something really off about the tale.

"It was when men consumed by their foolish darkness came that his light became not his, but his son's downfall." She closed her eyes, "A man whose anger and jealousy made him a monster threatened his life and unleashed a monster. But, because this man of light was consumed by his own righteousness, he didn't dare anyone suffer… but his son."

"You gotta be kidding me?! Naruto's father…" the green eyed boy felt sick.

Regardless, she continued, "Rather than try to raise the boy, feeling he was not man enough because his own light made him want to be humble, he ignored his wife's pleas and tried to leave her with their son. It cost the woman her life, and thus he sealed the monster in his son. Then, he asked for the boy to be seen as a hero for carrying the monster, the beast that killed and destroyed his village."

"That… backfired, didn't it?" He wasn't asking, he knew.

Nodding, she tried to finish her little history lesson, "Shunned, seen as someone who didn't deserve to exist, the boy would grow surrounded by people who took his father's light for granted, and was cast in their shadow. A select few kept his heritage a secret from everyone, even the boy, to protect him from his father's enemies. Yet he tried to reach for his own light, but I believe you know how this next part continues."

Shaking with hatred, Riku declared, "When I find whoever betrayed Naruto…" he gripped his hands so tightly that if it weren't for his gloves his nails would have drawn blood.

Turning her back to him, Kaguya smiled. She wasn't lying to him, per say, and she got him to be even more loyal to her future king.

Now it was time to finish it, "That is why we are grooming him to accept the darkness. When it comes down to it, his life deprived of the light his own people never gave him will mold him into a king who knows of the light's tyranny. A true ruler to destroy the fallacies the light stands for. Why, he'd make a fetching dark knight to any girl he'd come around, ahuhuhu…"

She wasn't lying on that part either.

"And that is just how it went… It was bizarre at the start and the end."

Naruto and his party members had already let Stitch join them, so he guessed it was about time he explained some things. He did skip the details on how the little girl acted and enjoyed herself, but it still made the others feel their hearts sink. They were at a café and had just been told what Naruto faced when facing his other self, and hearing what Riku had said, Alice had a few choice of words.

"Well, if I were my mother I'd have smacked you in the head for such a foolish fear." The blonde English girl said in surprise.

Steven nodded, arms crossed, "Yeah! Come on, I told you, you have nothing to worry about. So what if you can become the King of Darkness, we'd just have to knock some sense into you!"

Terra stared nervously at the second and third smallest members of their group, "Wouldn't it be best if we avoided any kind of violence if it came to that? It'd still be Naruto."

"Violence is the fun way!" Stitch replied with a large grin before finishing his slice of cake in a clean bite.

"But you heard me." Naruto said, looking down, "That other me did say things I… I have thought about. There's been too many times I just wanted to just make people pay. Aren't you worried that might-"

Jasmine raised her hand to halt him, "We are aware of what you're afraid of, but after everything you put yourself through for us, there's no way we're seeing you any other way."

Steven gave his whiskered friend a thumb up, "Besides, if that other you does come back, we'll have some words for him." He cracked his knuckles, or so it seemed.

Alice voiced what everyone thought, "Your knuckles are really quiet."

"They're very polite." He replied with a grin. He then turned to his whiskered friend with a playfully cocky smile, "Now I expect you to tell me I was right in saying you got nothing to worry about."

Naruto ruffled the boy's afro, "Ok, ok, you were right." he laughed, though it was a bit forced.

The girls noticed, they almost knew by instinct what had to be the cause, perhaps it was their woman's intuition but they could tell he tried too hard to not give up. He had seen what awaited for him, and it was not something he wished to have seen. How would one react to seeing a being of such power as that little girl who so effortlessly took his heart? However, even if he didn't have many chances he'd still hold on.

Terra spoke up, "Anyway, all we got to do is get strong, right?" she looked at her friends for them to acknowledge her words, "If that is so, there is a world we can go to. It's not far and even Leon goes there."

"It's worth a shot." Naruto said, making the magic girl smile at the success. Hope was a great motivation to keep moving forward, and… he smiled at her.

The green haired lass beamed, "There's nothing to worry about. There are tournaments in which we can fight against other competitors. It's popular among however few know of other worlds for them to test their skills. I…" her voice lowered a bit, "I did go a couple of times to find a friend of mine. That world would be perfect for him to visit."

"He does sound like quite a mighty and capable man." Alice commented. "Based on what you said, if he would be at home in such a place this gentleman must certainly know what he does."

Terra nodded, "He trained a lot. I've seen him fight and he's not the kind to give up easily… Oh dear, I nearly forgot his name." she blushed, panicking slightly before coughing into her fist to calm herself, "Sorry… His name is Sabin, a master in martial arts."

"A martial arts master?!" Steven nearly screamed, his eyes turning into stars. His mouth curled into a huge grin, "This is great, maybe I can ask him to teach me a few moves. I mean, I got my shield, but I've always wanted to be Karate Steven, capable of doing the legendary One Inch Sound Barrier Breaker Punch!"

Naruto got equally excited, both him and Steven turning to their magic friend, "Can he teach that?! It sounds really cool!"

"Oh, I… I wouldn't know…" she nearly squeaked, managing to control her voice at the last minute, "But… he may have something like that… He did suplex a train after all."

While there was confusion amongst those who didn't know what a train was, Alice's chin nearly met the table when her mouth opened, "A single man lifted an entire train?! Is he a giant?!"

Terra giggled in both amusement at the girl's reaction and nervousness at said reaction, "I don't think so. He is around a head or so taller than me, if that's what you mean."

Steven was floored with awe, "Express Suplex… I am so going to make a move like that!" it didn't take long for his usual cheerfulness to come back, though.

Naruto stood up, "Then it's decided, let's go to this world to meet Terra's friend!"

Said girl tried to talk, "I never said he was there, he… hello?"

Jasmine giggled, "Leave them be, they seem to be enjoying the idea too much to break their hopes."

With their minds set, the party made their way out of view so no one could see Naruto use darkness. One thing was to accept him for what he was, and another was to try to get an entire town to do so. After how people reacted when he first arrived, they weren't taking any risks. Sad as it may have been, not all battles can be won. Also, there was an elephant to address.

"This is starting to feel easier…" Naruto started after opening the Dark Corridor without even raising his hand. He looked at it and clenched it into a fist, "We will get stronger. Then we'll do what we came here to do. We'll find Connie, Lilo, and all of Terra's friends. We'll set Jasmine free of the ring, and we'll help Sora save the worlds."

Hearing his words, Steven gave him a thumb up, Stitch smirked and readied his guns, Terra floated to his side, Jasmine reached for her sword, and Alice hefted her Keyblade on her shoulder. Without a second thought they walked into the Dark Corridor. What they came across on the other side was expected and unexpected at the same time.

They expected things to be different from previous worlds. However, they did not expect to find a large building which gates were guarded by large gold statues of burly warriors crossing swords. For some odd reason, though, there were wooden barrels all around, a very beaten up dummy hanging by a rope, and… a large pink sword coming to Naruto's face.

"You shouldn't have come when I'm training!" cried a female voice.

With a yelp, Naruto summoned his sword and it clashed against one far larger than his. It was a single-edged sword that looked to be made of a pink crystal with a rose motif with a hand guard, and it was about as big as him. The wielder, a girl a few inches taller than Alice, had no problem holding it. They jumped back, with Naruto getting into a stance and her mimicking his moves but with far more grace.

He got a look at her. She had dark skin kind of like Jasmine's, was most likely around a year younger than him, dark hair, and large eyes. Her nose was slightly bigger than normal and gave her a certain hawk-like look. Her garments, though, made him think of his village. She had a black, sleeveless outfit meant for martial arts with a red sash. A braid kept her hair neatly in place, and she wore black kung-fu shoes.

"Wait!" he said, pointing to his face, "I know what I look like, but I'm no-"

"Connie!"

Everything seemed to stop, even time itself, when everyone turned to see a beaming Steven.

The girl's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets before an equally bright smile appeared on her face, "Steve-" and then she recalled who she was fighting with, aiming her sword at the blond, "You! What tricks are you pulling on me?! I may be new to this world, but I cannot allow your cruel deeds to spread in this world like all others that fell before you, evildoer!"

Before she could continue her attack, Naruto spoke, "Steven, do you really know her? I don't want to be mean, but… she speaks fancy, kinda like Alice. You sure she's not another Connie from another world?"

The smaller boy chuckled, "Connie really likes this book about a cool girl fighting evil with her friend. There's bits where people talk like that. It's really fun, maybe I can lend it to-"

"Steven, you know him?" the girl, now identified as Connie, asked with an arched eyebrow.

The bushy haired kid chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, "It's quite a long story. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm training to become a hero." The girl said, equally excited.

That… certainly intrigued the party.

 **YOU**

 **DO  
**

 **NOT**

 **NEED**

 **TO**

 **BE**

 **A**

 **HERO**

 **FOR**

 **YOU**

 **ARE**

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **. . .**

 **XXXXXX**

And that's my rap!

So, why show this fight and this meeting? Because I don't believe I'm pretentious enough to try to fool you guys with the obvious. That's why I decided to keep this in the next chapter to show some of the big surprises that will mold this story. I'm not even going to pretend this is a serious story, it's made for the sake of having fun Kingdom Hearts style.

Also, the final member has joined. Yes, Steven and Connie fight together as one. Their main gimmick is to combine their skills and give enemies trouble with their teamwork.

Thus we have a black knight with Naruto (I think that's most accurate to what he is considering he has a sword and dark magic), a white mage with Alice (healer and caster of light spells), a mixture of a thief and red mage with Jasmine (a genie girl with a blade), an elemental mage with Terra (and a fluff lover too), a gunman with Stitch (try to beat his quick draw), and a paladin with Connie and Steven (sword and shield).

I'm sure some of you will have more questions, or think I'm jumping the shark. You could argue I jumped the shark the moment I started this fic. I mean, the craziness of the universe of Kingdom Hearts is kind of beyond otherworldly, it has its own tier of craziness. Just have a bit of faith in me, I do want to wrap this up nicely and have fun with the elements that everything here brings.

Some of my plans include, but are not limited, to Sora and Riku fighting Akatsuki and Orochimaru's forces with Sasuke included, Naruto facing the organization, our three heroes (Naruto, Sora and Riku) facing the threat from Steven's world (if you know what Steven Universe is about), and of course, whatever madness not only Kaguya has planned, but also Mirage and cert-

 **What's the point in keeping things predictable or unpredictable, Sword? After all, values have no value, and history is a cycle meant to spiral into madness! Just let the kid do what he pleases… Then I shall enjoy a little fun playing with the princess' lover boy. I mean, wow, first kiss on the first date, she works fast. I am so going to enjoy teasing him about this.**

Oh sweet mother… You?!

 **Did you really think I'd let you make a boring outro without breaking a few miserable laws of physics and the barrier of existence to poke fun at some poor guy with delusions of grandeur?**

I was hoping not to see you face, you demon.

 **Where's the fun in that? The kid is bound to meet me sooner or later. It doesn't matter where he runs, light and darkness may fight for who gets whatever the other wants, and I will dance to the beat of their stupid wars. He and I are meant to meet, otherwise it just wouldn't be good… for you, that is. Well, got to think what fun ways to break into his reality. Ta-ta!**

Sweet merciful… what have I done?

Swordslinger out!


	11. What's a hero?

I OWN NOTHING

I still know I am not the best writer out there and that this story has plenty of flaws, yet that won't stop me from trying to make it better as I keep going.

 **XXXXXX**

What's a hero?

 **PLAY**

 **AS**

 **YOU**

 **SEE**

 **FIT**

 **FOR**

 **YOU**

 **WILL**

 **END**

 **WITH**

 **ME**

Meeting the girl wielding a sword about her size had been nicer than anyone expected. Connie was more than eager to get to know Steven's friends, which lead them to their current situation. The odd group of an alien, a half-gem boy, a princess with a Keyblade, a mage, a genie, and the darkness user entered a hall full of trophies. There Connie finally explained a few things.

"After I arrived to this Traverse Town I started looking for Steven or a way home. However, I saw some odd guys in cloaks speaking about other worlds. I wanted to ask for them to help me get back, but… well, I got here, and have been training to be a hero for some time now." The girl said with a sheepish grin at the end, hefting her large sword over her shoulder.

"Who were these guys, then? Is there anything you recall about them?" Naruto asked, curious of the possibility of others traveling through worlds.

Connie thought back, "I can't really tell. All I saw were cloaks like yours, but pitch black. And… it felt weird to follow them." She hugged herself, "I don't know but when I followed them and heard them talking I kind of felt… sad. Like something was missing for them. One tried really hard to make the other laugh, but it all seemed too… empty."

"If they use the same portals I do, we're bound to run into them." Naruto said before another question popped in his head, "But you said you're training to be a hero, what's that about?"

"Don't you know? This coliseum is a place where heroes from other worlds come to see who's the best!" Connie cheered, like a little girl talking about her favorite book.

Steven's eyes sparkled in wonder, "Legendary fighters across the stars… It's like every comic book ever combined!"

Connie giggled softly and put a hand up, as if educating the boy, "Actually, more like a cartoon crossover. There's so many different people going in and out to sign up. In fact, I'm going through some trials to enter the tournament. I figured that if I was stuck here, I'd get strong enough in case any trouble appeared."

"Oh my, I'm actually rather envious of that determination you have, Connie." Alice said with a smile, "To think you'd be this strong despite the situation you're in… I wish I had that strength before I met our friends here."

Connie blushed, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment, "I didn't actually start… strong. It took me a while, but when Steven told me I should train in the way of the sword, I started giving it my all. So I don't think you're that far behind if you just put effort into what you're doing."

Alice clasped her hands with a grateful grin, "Thank you for your kind words. I guess I have no excuse to try harder now."

"Hey, to me you've always tried your best." Naruto said, making the blonde girl smile more.

Connie nearly giggling when seeing Alice's cheeks gain a red hue but controlled herself, "Well, how about I introduce you to Phil? He's been training me since I arrived. Actually, it was because I met a guy named Hercules and asked him for some help. It was kind of a favor to Hercules, but Phil's been helping me learn how to use the sword better. He may not look like it, but he knows some tricks or two."

"That sounds wonderful." Alice said, pondering on that offer, "As a matter of fact, I could use some proper training myself. What say you, Naruto?"

He nodded, "Same here. If we have to look for our friends, we may as well be strong enough to protect them..." as he said that, he couldn't help but look at Connie and Steven standing close to each other.

"Is something the matter?" the afro haired boy asked.

"Oh, nothing." Naruto replied a bit bashful, but the look Steven gave him said that everyone and their mother could tell there was something, "Sorry, it's just so weird you got to see her so soon. It does feel like we made progress but at the same time, we're nowhere near having an idea of where to go."

Steven went wide-eyed, like he had heard a big revelation, "Is that it?! Come on, we're sticking with you to make sure you do a good job!"

"Yeah, besides, I'm training to be a hero!" Connie said, puffing up her chest in pride, "Can't be much of one without helping others move forward!"

A sudden shift of weight alerted the dark Keyblade wielder that Stitch jumped on his shoulders, moving his head up with his four clawed arms, "Yeah! Forward! Onward! Rock 'n roll!"

Before Naruto could protest to the blue fur-ball on his shoulders, feeling flustered while hearing the girls giggling, a loud voice interrupted the scene, "Alright, break it up, rookies! And you, Connie, why aren't you practicing your stances and attacks like I told you?!"

The newcomer was small, barely as tall as Stitch, and was not human. He was rather overweight, had a balding head, a well-groomed goatee, and a large, round red nose. He also possessed horns like those of a goat and furry brown legs that ended in hooves. It was a satyr, a creature of myth. Of course, the sight of such a being surprised the group while he stared at them.

Jolts of lightning seemed to have struck Naruto, for he could feel every fiber of his being turning into solid dread, "What's this feeling? Why am I reminded of…" he suppressed a shudder.

The small satyr smiled, "By Zeus' magnificent beard, thank you all gods for allowing me to see beauty!" the pudgy mythological being praised the heavens before running towards Jasmine and Terra.

Finally, Naruto's brain connected the dots as he aimed a finger at the horned midget, "Ah, a pervy trainer!" he cried loudly, his body stiffening at the idea of what he was seeing, another being like a certain sage…

"What the- Hey kid, show some respects for your elders! You're still too wet behind your ears to call me a trainer!" the balding satyr said, hooking a thumb to himself, "Name's Phil, hero trainer extraordinaire and the guy currently giving tips to that girl you seem to be friends with."

"Wait, so could you give us proper advice in how to battle?" Alice asked hopefully.

"Sure, but not him." The satyr said, aiming a finger at Naruto.

Alice's good mood was ruined, "What do you mean?! How can you be so quick to deny someone help?!"

Naruto looked as annoyed as the blonde princess when Phil seemed to pass him over, the satyr telling him with utmost bluntness, "You're tainted by the darkness, kiddo. Who's to say my training won't be used when you go sour one day?"

Steven looked upset while Connie herself looked torn, as she wasn't sure who to side with. Stepping forward, Steven pointed at the tiny goat-man angrily, "Naruto isn't like that and he never will be! He's my best friend, and I believe in him!"

Turning around, Naruto gave off a bitter smile at his friends, "Don't worry you guys, I'm used to be ignored for other people when it comes to training… My own team teacher did that to me all the time. So I'm used to stuff like this. You guys train with someone who knows what the hell he's doing, I'll train by myself, as I always have."

As he turned around, Jasmine ran after him until he held out his hand, stopping the genie girl in her tracks but she was mad "Are you really going to let us train with a guy that just treated you like that? Naruto, please, you know you're better than that guy. After everything you told us, even if you're really this King of Darkness, you deserve to train with us."

"It's fine, if he won't train me then I'll have to find a way to learn on my own, that's pretty much how I've managed to learn what little I've been taught by my teachers." He shook his head to get to the point, "Jasmine, you need to get stronger too, I'll see you when I get back. Don't worry, if I need you, I'll call you." He said earnestly to her, she looked upset but accepting of his decision.

"Just… be careful. I don't want that Mirage fiend or that Kaguya hurting you." Naruto nodded at her, Alice, and Terra, before he continued walking away.

Alice herself looked positively annoyed with Phil who looked a little guilty, "Hey, my contract says I have to help heroes. You all look like you have the potential. But even if he's a good friend of yours, I'm sure you noticed. If someone like me can sniff that darkness, you know you have to be careful around him. A single slip, and who knows what kind of Heartless he'd become."

"Even so…" Terra started, clenching her hands into fists, "He's still trying so hard to help us despite what he's going through. To spit on that, maybe you're not fit to train heroes."

Phil crossed his arms, "I'm trying to keep you safe. Don't you see? The more attached you become to him, the easier it'll be for him to gobble your hearts should he lost control for a second. Or has that possibility never crossed your minds?" seeing the group look down, the satyr felt guilty again, "Look, I ain't a perfect guy, so if push comes to shove, I guess I can help you to keep him from losing his mind."

"That'd help." Connie said, but her tone was a little venomous.

As he stepped outside of the coliseum, Naruto walked in an uncertain direction out into the streets of the city beyond it. He walked until he was certain he found a training ground, the soldiers who normally used it were gone, and so he began practicing Keyblade swings. For over an hour he drilled himself in techniques and magic practice, until at last he sat down, panting to himself tiredly.

"Well, would you look at that kid? You actually destroyed that one target with a Firaga and scorched it down to the metal frame, gotta hand it to ya, you're not half bad."

It was testament to Naruto's growing acceptance of his dark powers that he merely sat up, and wiped some sweat from his head as Hades admired his handiwork.

"I take it you're here to train me?" Naruto wasn't an idiot and he correctly surmised that Hades was there for a purpose.

The God of the Underworld pointed his fingers into the air as a burst of fire erupted from them in a fireworks-like fashion, "Bingo! Give the King his royal applause!" a pair of imps, one green and skinny with a long sharp nose and the other fat and purple, eagerly did so behind him as Hades reveled in his own show of control over fire.

"Why would you help me? I don't think I'm doing much of an improvement." The blond darkness user felt weary, "And I can tell you know your way around darkness already to bother with me."

"Right in one there, your royal majesty." The fiery deity said, "I'm here to teach you some stuff about darkness. You're not half bad with it already, and I'll admit you definitely have skill with fire. So let's begin with the classic dark-augmentation technique. Darkness can enhance even the most basic of spell-work, hence why you see Dark Firagas thrown around like they're going out of style."

Hades was actually a competent teacher, something Naruto found to his surprise as the god showed him a quite well made chart of how Darkness was used to enhance spell work, "I could throw blue fire? That sounds cool." Naruto said with arched eyebrows as he read the chart.

"Purified flames with pure darkness infusing them." The god said, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder, "But the reason I'm here to help you is because we are kindred spirits. Oh, don't start with the differences! Yes, I know, I'm kind of taller and have a more chiseled jaw, but you're not bad looking, kid! And we both know what it feels like to have someone set your future for yourself without even thinking twice."

Here Hades waved his hand around Naruto's stomach, making him shudder, "What did you do?!"

Hades smirked, "Sorry, name's Hades, I rule over the dead. And I can't help but feel there's some death-related magic in you. Another good reason for me to want to help you." The god clasped his hands together, "After all, I bet you don't even know what happened to that seal of yours or what really happened to that Fourth Hokage. You do know he had to give his life to seal that beast in you, right?"

"What's the catch?" Naruto growled, growing tired of the god's tirade.

"Like I said, kid, kindred spirits. My brother chose my job for myself, and I'm stuck in a dark pit tending over countless souls. You, however, had to look after one which was locked in you, until it was changed for something darker…" the god patted the kid's head, "As a god I know many things, such as how that bunny girl replaced the fox for something worse, a being of pure darkness."

Naruto recalled what happened at the islands, the creature he met in that dark realm when the Shadow Heartless pinned him down, "So she replaced the Kyuubi with a Heartless…" it was then that adrenaline shot through his body from the shock, "I have a Heartless inside me?! Wait, so that's why the darkness can reach me so easily!"

"Yet even with your own darkness, it still can't claim your heart." Hades replied with a finger-gun gesture, "Heartbreaking for her, don't you think? Well, how about a chance to talk to the man who locked the fox in you? You know, just so you can get a few things out of your chest, get some answers, and even punch his perfect teeth in if it'll make you feel better."

"Not before you tell me why you're doing this and what you're after." Naruto could have been many things, but even he had to ask what was the real reason behind everything the fiery man did.

"It's simple, really." The god started, "I have issues with that stubborn little goat and his poster boy. See, he thinks this meathead of Hercules, or rather Dorkules, is the perfect hero. Everyone loves him and he's the son of that brother of mine that locked me in the Underworld. I'd like to see you and that pretty boy duke it out and see you win!" Hades even threw some jabs in the air before smirking at the kid.

"You want me to surpass Phil's best student?" Naruto asked before feeling something stir in him, making him smirk at the god, "Sure, I'd like to see that midget eat his beard."

The god widened his smile, giving Naruto a fiery thumb up, "That's the spirit, kiddo! There's nothing better than making those over-glorified perfect boys put their feet on the ground, am I right? Just like brooding expert extraordinaire Sasuke Uchiha. I bet you'd like to give him a few lessons next time you meet. Though it may be difficult, his heart is far darker than before."

"How do- Wait, I just got over the fact you're a god." Naruto rubbed the side of his head, arching an eyebrow, "I'm taking this way better than I should."

"Indeed, for you know not what that Uchiha is like." Hades started with a sly smile, "After all, trying to kill you for power with no regret and embracing his darkness? It's a wonder no one has realized how close he is to becoming a Heartless. Though you can argue he's already started to be one. Don't be so surprised if one day he appears before you and that sword of yours has to feast on his heart."

That… actually worried Naruto, "Wait, then Granny, everyone at the Leaf… If he became a Heartless-"

"Whatever precious people you had in that world of yours would be lunch." Hades said, trying to put a serious tone on his voice, "What do you say now, kid? Want to learn how to stop that from happening?"

Naruto looked at the god with determination in his eyes, "Even if I must go through Hell itself!"

Hades had to turn around to keep the boy from seeing the nasty smirk on his face, "Good, this should be fun…"

 **MY**

 **STRENGTH**

 **HAS**

 **BEEN**

 **YOURS**

 **SINCE**

 **YOU**

 **ACCEPTED**

 **MY**

 **LOVE**

"I feel bad about this." Connie said as she sliced a training dummy diagonally in half.

Off to the side, Phil had Steven and Alice spar, watched Stitch firing at several targets from a distance with Terra doing the same with magic, with Jasmine using Terra's short sword against a row of dummies. The princess and shield wielder were practicing their footwork while Terra and the blue fur ball had no trouble getting clean shots. Jasmine for her part dashed swiftly around targets, getting clean hits.

As for the satyr…

"Like I said, kid, being a hero's not an easy job. Rule 43: Never allow yourself to see and hear what you want to instead of what you should." Phil said while standing beside Alice, checking the girl's fencing, "Hmm… pretty standard stuff there but it gets the job done. You need more proper combat and see some real fighters, and I may know just the thing."

"Whatever do you mean?" Alice said, but still kept her distance partly because of the satyr's way of looking at her more well-endowed friends, and because she still didn't like being away from her dear friend.

"The coliseum has been under repairs from a big fight last time it was open, but heroes always want to test themselves." Phil started, "That's why we're still taking anyone who's ready to be a hero trainee. There's a small tournament, nothing like the big leagues, to have the greenhorns take out those who need more training and see who has a better chance. Maybe you kids could enter… if you had a pass."

"Oh, but I do!" Connie said, lifting a single piece of paper with the word pass on it, "I actually found it on the ground, seems like one of the guys I was tailing dropped it."

Phil groaned, "As much as I hate to do this, I got to let her in. Rules are rules, and I can't turn down anyone with a pass. That's why I've tried to give her tips, not just to help a girl with potential, but to keep her from getting eaten alive by the other contestants."

"Why don't we join her?" Terra asked, "Surely, you say that anyone who has a pass can enter, but what if we say we share one?"

Phil grinned, "Sure, you can do that. There's teams of heroes who go in as big as they can, or even guys that go solo to prove themselves. Granted, we allow rookies and veterans to fight with friends to see how good they are as teams. A hero who can't fight along others can't call himself a hero, but a lone wolf."

The group frowned at that, after all Phil had made one of their own a lone wolf, with Stitch being the more vocal about it in his own gibberish language. No one could deduce what he said, but Phil grew mad.

"Hey, you kiss your mother with that mouth?!" the small satyr shouted, shaking a fist.

"I'm not sure I'd use… whatever words he's using." Alice started, "However, I can think of one good reason he'd use a vulgar vocabulary against you."

"Oh please, I'm not trying to be the bad guy." The bearded man tried to argue, "Have you any idea how many heroes I've trained only to see them become pretentious jerks? I swear to Poseidon himself, and let him skewer me with that trident of his, that the flaw of a hero is how emotional they can be. Even the best of the best, like dear Herc and Achilles, have done some stupid things without thinking straight."

"You still can't be so sure that Naruto will just become a villain." Jasmine argued, "I've seen him get angry and sink into the darkness, alright? But even then, he still wanted to keep me safe."

Phil put his hands on his hips, "And yet when I mentioned he could attack you if he lost his mind, you didn't argue much. Face it, you may not want to admit it and you try to keep a strong faith in him, but-"

"Even so!" Terra surprised everyone with that outburst, the usually quite green haired lass shouted at a new face, "Even so, we will help him, or is this training of yours not going to help us?! Is it you that has little faith, then?!" she took a deep breath, putting a hand on her chest to calm herself.

Phil closed his eyes, "Alright, you got me there." He then looked at everyone with a serious face, "If you want to do things right, you will know every step of being a hero. I've seen your forte, so let's work around that before the tournament. Let me see if I got some of my old equipment back when I helped Herc."

"Then let us call him." Alice said, "With this pass, even he can join us in the tournament to prove you wrong and show you how much of a hero he can be."

Phil frowned, "Afraid not, little lady. I'm still making the rules, and who knows what'd happen if a hero saw him for what he is, a wanderer of darkness? If they tried to take him out, would you like that on your conscience? Or even worse, what if he let them get under his skin and lost control? You said he did so once, and I don't want him hurting anyone should that happen. I suggest your team remains how it is."

"Even if that were true, it's like we're abandoning him." Terra said, looking down, "He's really nice and tries so hard despite what he is. What would it take for you to see that?"

"Sorry, but passes are given to those that can make it as heroes." Phil said, "I don't know who would be dumb enough to have one and then lose it, but they must have had some potential. The only way to be a hero is with a god's blessing. Those passes don't really grow on trees, so if Connie there has one, it means she has what it takes."

"Wait, me?!" Connie said, pulling out the piece of paper and staring at it wide-eyed, "Whoa… So gods think I can make it as a hero… That is so cool!"

Steven smiled, hugging her, "You're beyond cool, you're… ice cold cool!"

Connie decided to not be too modest, "Well, after all I am your knight, My Liege."

Steven put on a forced regal voice as he bowed, "Indeed, Sir Knight."

The two chuckled, making Phil groan, "Alright, that's enough warming up. It's time you feel the burn!"

Training got more serious. Steven was forced to block arrows with sandbags tied to the tips, which left a few bruises when he wasn't fast enough. Alice had to spar with Connie, hard on its own. Terra and Stitch had to shoot down their targets before they hit them in the face. Jasmine for her part was glad for her wish to know how to fight, and started running through an obstacle course while cutting down fake enemies.

And below them, in a deep dark rocky massive cave with a deep layer of mist up to anyone's ankles and knees, was Naruto. Hades rested on a throne of his own, lighting a cigar with a thumb and a large smile. The dark Keyblade wielder stood in the middle of a large improvised arena which Hades' imps, Pain and Panic, set for him.

"Give us a good show, kid!" Hades cheered, snapping his finger as a figure appeared, "Let's see how well you do against some Spartans!"

Men clad in manly battle skirts with spears, shields, and helmets appeared before Naruto, with their leader being a man with a long, manly beard. Biting back a few loud swear words that'd change this story's rating, Naruto brought up his Keyblade to create a shield like the Large Bodies did. He did so at no better time, for the Spartans charged at him as one, attempting to skewer him.

"Weave and bob, defense's the best offense!" Panic cheered, waving a tiny flag with Naruto's face on it.

"No, dash in and cut them down, offense is the best defense!" Pain shouted, also waving a flag.

"Idiots…" Hades grumbled while massaging his temples, before growing bored of seeing Naruto block the warriors, "You've felt the darkness in you, kid! It's your power, all for you to use as you see fit! Tell me, are you angry at that stubborn goat, or did you forget that you want to meet the man that sealed the fox in your gut?!"

Naruto ground his teeth and gave a step forward, putting away the barrier and cutting through the Spartans' spears, "Out of my way!" he screamed, making the warriors step back before drawing short swords.

Hades clapped, "Good, good! Now aim your anger well! That face in that monument, that hero that sealed a monster inside of you while he got to shrug his responsibilities to you, put that face in these guys!" the god cackled, "Think on how he got to be loved even after death while you were hurt because of his mistakes!"

Naruto closed his eyes and watched the first Spartan race at him, swinging his sword. Bringing up his incomplete Keyblade, he clashed his blade against the spirit's, stopping it and then moving. With a single leap, Naruto flipped himself over the Spartan, landed behind him and cut him down. After being struck the spirit disappeared, returning to where its soul once rested.

Breathing deeply and then exhaling slowly, the whiskered boy raised his blade before the warriors, holding it parallel to the ground, "Who's next?" he asked calmly to the spirits, keeping his breath evened.

Laughter erupted where Hades was, the god enjoyed the show greatly from his throne as he clapped, "Bravo, bravo! You're getting it! Do not let that anger get the best of you, aim it in precise amounts against your enemies like a true king should! Now, try some fire! Feel the heat burning in you when remembering that Uchiha boy, how he tried to burn you to ashes, and let it fuel your flames!"

Flaring his nostrils, Naruto raised his left hand, glad that he had Jasmine's ring on his right hand, and fired a large fireball at the warriors. The resulting flame, still red and orange like normal fire, exploded upon contact to burn multiple Spartans at once. Their spirits returned to where they came from while Hades cheered and hooted, loving every second of the spectacle he was getting.

"Who'd have thought you'd be this good as a teacher?" Rhetorically asked a melodious, dark voice.

Hades leaned back on his throne, watching Naruto fight the spirits he sent after him, "Say what you will, Maleficent, a god is someone that must keep his promises. And I didn't make any promises to this kid, yet. In due time, he could bring me that fool's head along his daddy dearest's…" he chuckled darkly, "And yet, he fights like this, keeping himself sane despite using his own anger to fight."

"Or he's a natural." The horned woman said, "Kaguya took that fox out of him to use the beast as she saw fit, but put a powerful Heartless in him to keep him alive and linked to darkness itself. This plan of hers to make him our ideal king is going well not because that boy fighting before us is foolish, but because he's stronger than we can give him credit for."

"So you're telling me to be careful?" Hades chuckled, snapping his fingers to make a cup with a pink drink and a green worm on it appear in his hand, "Why should I when I'm besties with him?"

"Just remember, as much power as you may have, you're still not invulnerable to your own heart." She said before leaving Hades to sneer alone.

"She can flap her lips all she wants, with this kid at my side I've already won." The god said before taking a deep drag out of his cigar and continue enjoying the show, "What do you say, kid?! Are you ready for the next round?!" he asked once Naruto finished the warriors.

"Would that be you?" the blond asked, aiming his sword at the god, "I'm still not sure what you want to teach me, but for now I'm surprised it's really working."

"Geesh kid, you remind me of a stiff I had a contract with. You even have the same hair, only that yours is not as spiky." The fiery man said before appearing before Naruto in a cloud of smoke, "But no, your reall challenge is something more, shall we say, internal. You must know what I'm talking about, that darkness in you. It's about time you really start using it."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "And this is the part where I leave." He was about to do so, but found his path blocked by Hades.

"No, stay. I insist!" Hades exclaimed, pushing Naruto down on a seat that materialized behind him, "After all… You're in my realm already, and you may as well see this through. But trust me, I want what is best for you to control this power. Promise of a real god, kiddo. Because if you become a monster instead of a proper wielder of darkness, this place is going to get cramped."

Suddenly, everything became a blur, and Naruto's mind just disappeared. It was possibly what death felt like, nothing. A void in his mind that blocked everything around him. Sinking deeply into it made him forget many pains he had dealt with, and yet he could remember his friends. The faces he met and the people he wanted to fight for remained in his memories.

But then, there was someone else, "Naruto?" she asked his name.

In front of him was a beautiful young woman with crimson hair that reached down to her ankles, dressed in a housewife kind of outfit complete with a green apron. Her round face was twisted in an expression of awe and a mixture of two emotions, joy and sorrow. Her eyes were actually tearing up as she brought a hand to her mouth. However, nothing could be simple.

Less than a second later, and Naruto was back where he had been, in a seat that Hades made appear out of his will, "To think this little thing has been making that seal work the way it did. Pity she's stuck there."

Taking a deep breath, the young dark Keyblade wielder put a hand on his stomach, "Who was that…?"

Hades smiled, "That was a soul used to keep the fox in that seal, a soul that is still trapped to keep you from going insane with its power. Of course, if you want to know more about her and ways to end her misery forever trapped inside you, there's only one way to do so. See, that seal keeps under control a powerful Heartless, and the only way to control one is, well, I don't need to go into details."

Grinding his teeth, Naruto looked up at the god, "You planned on doing this from the start, didn't you?"

"It's for your own good. I can only tell you so much before you piece the story yourself, kid." The god was having a lot of fun even if he tried to keep a professional façade, "She knows more about you than you do, as does the man that sealed the fox. After all, life was needed to seal that beast, and that woman and that dead hero had to use theirs for the greater good of that place you call home."

With his fists clenched and eyes closed shut, Naruto spoke, "And you still want me to defeat Hercules, don't you?"

Hades smirked, holding out his hand, "A deal's a deal. You bring Mr. Perfect down to his knees, and you can know everything about those who gave everything they had to seal a monster in you, turning you into a monster for those around you." He kept his grin but grew impatient, "Come on, kid, this is the opportunity of an afterlife."

Naruto had to extend his hand, and did so… by punching Hades in the face! "I refuse!" were Naruto's firm words after retracting his fist from Hades' face.

"You little brat!" the god cried, stepping back while glaring at the boy, large fireballs on his hands, "You think you can mock me, the god of the dead?!"

"You said I should aim my anger to my enemies." Naruto replied, holding his sword to his side and readying darkness oozing in his other hand, "From the start I saw you as someone that wanted a big favor, not a friend. I only fight for people that give kindness to anyone without needing a reason to do so! And right now, I can only see you as my enemy, so guess what that means!"

"You're way out of your league, worm!" the god snapped, his body turning red and his hair orange.

"I know, so… until next time!" Naruto grinned cheekily as he opened a Dark Corridor, leaving the god to stare at where he had been.

Maleficent for her part just watched where Hades had seen the kid fight a large pillar of fire illuminate the entire Underworld, "As expected, that boy can never be underestimated. My dear Kaguya, had you told me of him sooner, why, I may have tried to take him as if he were my own child."

Said horned woman smirked while watching the fire controlling deity burning his own cave, "Until he becomes a proper king for the darkness, we shall see him grow as he should. When time comes, that is when I shall seal the deal. Afufufu… Just thinking about it and how I held him so close to my body makes me… tingle in anticipation."

Maleficent grinned, a hand near her mouth to stifle a dark, amused giggle, "Why, he really makes you feel younger than you are, doesn't he?"

"I could say the same about you, my dear." The goddess said before both horned women disappeared.

 **YOUR**

 **TEACHERS**

 **AND**

 **YOUR**

 **ALLIES**

 **ARE**

 **JUST**

 **TOOLS**

 **FOR**

 **YOU**

 **MY**

 **BELOVED**

It was time. Preparations had been made, an improvised arena had been made at the entrance of the coliseum, and heroes of different worlds had appeared to battle. Naruto's friends were nervous but ready as they waited for things to finally start. They also worried where their blond friend had gone off to, but they were unaware of a pair of shady figures watching them.

"And you played this stupid game to have that girl get a ticket, because…" a figure in a black cloak asked another but thinner figure in a black cloak.

"Hey, she seemed lost and like she wanted to do something. It seemed like a good way to have her kill some time after she followed us." The skinnier figure replied, holding a bucket of popcorn, "Besides, I never really got much use for that paper, I was only told by the boss to investigate the place. How would I know some glowing person would pop out of nowhere, think I'm a hero, and give me it?"

The more serious figure turned to look at him, and then at the arena, "It shall be curious seeing how that whim brought that boy's friends to this place." he then looked at his companion, "Are you going to share?"

The skinny one held the bucket tightly to his body, "Get your own, man. I cooked it myself right after the boss told us to keep track of the kid and his friends."

"What does he even see in that boy? He's a threat with how he consumes hearts." The larger one said as they took their seats, waiting for the fights to finally start.

"Maybe that's what the boss is after, or something more complicated. Who knows? Anyway, just enjoy the match." The skinny figure said before munching on a handful of buttered, salty popcorn.

"Are you really not going to share?"

"No."

With our hero's friends, things weren't as easygoing as Steven paced back and forth in front of the girls and Stitch, "All right team, we may not be that experienced in battling heroes, but we know how to beat monsters as good as any legendary warrior with a big sword. Just like a friend told me, you ought to say this out loud: we'll do it together and it's going to be great!"

"Is it odd that I've gotten used to him being that way already?" Jasmine asked Connie.

The younger swordswoman shrugged, "Only if this is your first chapter in an adventure with him."

"I see you're geared up, rookies." Phil said, walking to them, "Now do remember, this is all just to test yourselves and there's always next time. That being said, here's two things for you kids to remember: look forward, keep your head, up, bring up your fists, and give them all you got, no matter how hard you must squeeze it out!"

Stitch looked at his clawed palm, looking at four claws with a confused look on his face before showing Terra his hand, the girl nodding, "Just don't bring it up. Maybe he'll realize his mistake on his own." The small gunslinger nodded and stood ready while the first round started.

And it started, shockingly enough, with a pair of known faces, "I see you couldn't help yourselves with this tournament." The scar-faced swordsman before them said, still brooding, "I'm surprised one of you is missing."

"Yeah, what happened to Whiskers?" a spunky kunoichi asked, hands on her hips, "And… oh my, Connie, it's you!"

"Ah you're… that girl that gave me directions…" the young swordswoman blurted, blushing at the end, "Sorry… I didn't get your name with the hurry I was in."

"Well, don't you forget it, the name's-" the girl's cheerful introduction was cut short by her partner.

"She's Yuffie, I'm Leon, and we're here to get some training done and see if there's a few heroes here worth a lick of salt." The scar-faced young man said coldly, angering his partner.

"Why do you have to be all doom and gloom, honestly?!" the ninja girl yelled.

Leon just walked to the arena, "Don't waste your breath, we may have to fight them." He slung his sword over his shoulder as he left.

Yuffie puffed her cheeks, "That guy's un-freaking-believable! Sorry about that, you guys. Anyway, I hope to see you in the final round before Leon and I take the trophy!"

"I am tempted to say the only unbelievable one is her." Alice whispered, "Her energy and confidence are familiar, though."

Steven stared at the girls, puzzled when they turned to him, "What is it? Did I step on something or do I have leftover cookies on my face?" Connie snorted, while the girls gave more ladylike responses such as giggles. Stitch snickered and patted his friend's back, making Steven even more confused, "Ok then… Well, Yuffie said she wanted to take the trophy, so you know what that means."

Connie nodded, regaining her composure, "Yeah, we take it from her and Leon!"

Alice breathed in deeply to steel her nerves, "I am not sure. From what I've heard, Leon is more experienced than even Naruto when it comes to fighting."

Terra rubbed her hands together, nervous, "Indeed. I know my own strength, but Sq- I mean, Leon is on a level on his own. He never takes a fight lightly unless he is forced to hold back, and even then…"

Stitch spoke, "Not impossible! Together we win!"

Steven chuckled, "He's right, we got numbers on our side, and math is pretty hard to beat… and learn."

Feeling invigorated by that fact, they made their way to enter the tournament. And as they did, a certain blond walked back to the coliseum to find them, sighing to himself.

"What does it even mean to be a hero?" he asked himself, growling while clutching his stomach, "Even if it's true that the Fourth did all this and used someone, nothing changes. He still protected the village. So, why am I so mad at him? No, I have the right to be mad at him." Shaking his head, he kept moving, "I know I can be a way better hero than him, that's for sure."

"Huh, why would you say that?" a voice asked.

Too absorbed in his thoughts, Naruto didn't pay any mind that he was talked to, "I always wanted to be a hero so people looked up at me like they did with him. But now I have to ask if it's what I want. The biggest hero where I come from just gave me trouble and didn't even take responsibility for it, all for people that treat me like I don't exist, or like I shouldn't exist."

"What do you want then?" the voice got closer, sounding worried.

Crossing his arms in thought, the Keyblade wielder tried to word his answer properly, "I was told a hero is someone who protects everyone. Right now I want to help so many friends I made. I barely even met them, yet I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't keep them safe. After how kind they've been, even if they don't really know me, I want to help them, to see them happy. I want to be their hero."

"You know, I shouldn't do this…" the voice said, and Naruto was snapped out of his thoughts when a strong, bronze toned hand grabbed his shoulder, "But I think you earned this."

"A… pass?" Naruto asked while holding a piece of paper, before turning to the stranger.

He took two steps back to fully see him, the guy was towering. With muscle over his muscles in a gladiator style armor with a battle skirt, a blue cape, and auburn hair finely combed, he looked like a superhero. On his hip was a short gladiator sword, and everything about him, from his kind smile to how his eyes were filled with determination, screamed hero.

The tall man waved, "You should go to the coliseum and show them that. If you got a chance to be a hero, do everything you can to earn it."

The boy stared at the pass, currently at a loss, "Why would you help me?" he wasn't trying to be cautious, the guy before him was genuinely kind.

"You answered that." The young man said, patting the boy's shoulder, "A hero is someone who protects everyone, and if you want to be someone's hero then I'm willing to lend you a hand."

Naruto grinned from ear to ear, "Thanks, mister! I'll be sure to be a greater hero than even that Hercules guy!"

The young man chuckled, "Huh, really? So you want to face me?" Naruto's brain stopped working while every neuron processed what he heard, "I'd be glad to see if you have what it takes to be a true hero."

"You're…" Naruto tried hard to form words, but he couldn't.

The man put his hand to his lips, whistling loudly. The blond felt the wind getting wilder, making his cloak and the man's cape flap in the air. From the skies descended a large and majestic white horse with a shiny blue mane, tail, and white wings. Naruto's brain tried to reboot itself when he saw the tanned young man jump on his flying steed and dash off into the sky.

Well then, his brain told him when it finally started working again, he had a pass and he had a chance to show Phil he could be a hero. Better make Hercules proud after angering a god.

It didn't take long for the satyr to yell, "Who in the name of sweet Aphrodite's loving gave you this?!"

Naruto smirked, rubbing his index finger under his nose, "What's the matter? Someone must have seen I can be a hero, right?" He was as modest as always.

Phil groaned, "Was it a guy with blue fire for hair and a huge chin?" he saw the boy tense after hearing the description, but he couldn't say a thing because Naruto was faster.

"I pretty much gave him a sore jaw for trying to trick me into finding Hercules." He sounded equally proud and angry, "I wish I could have done more, but I could tell he had the home advantage."

Phil rubbed his beard, "So you don't work for him. Even so, letting you in is sure to bring trouble. How can I be sure you, someone Hades tried to make a deal with, won't bring any trouble?"

Naruto shrugged, "You don't, but I heard that you follow the rules and anyone with a pass gets in."

The satyr slapped his forehead, "I'd curse something but angering the gods would get me a lightning bolt to the face… Alright, but I have to know, what god gave you this?"

Naruto chuckled, "A hero, if I am not mistaken, you may know him."

It took a few seconds for Phil to understand what he meant, and thus he slapped his face yet again, "I'm going to have two good words with him…"

Naruto grinned cheekily while putting his hands behind his head, "So, am I in?"

The satyr frowned, "Don't get ahead of yourself, kid. Do you know who you'd be fighting against in this tournament?"

"You're… fighting?" Steven had jogged to meet his blond friend when seeing him talk to Phil, worried that they'd fight, before getting confused at seeing his blond friend grinning widely.

"Yeah, someone actually saw me as a hero!" Naruto cheered, bringing up his hand for a high-five, but saw no response. He lowered his hand, about to pat Steven on the chest like the boy had done with him once.

However, Steven stepped back, looking sad, "Then… You have to fight us."

Our young hero froze, while Phil groaned, "You didn't really think this through, did you?"

Fate always pulled unexpected twists and turns on anyone's life, mostly if the one controlling that life was a certain bunny woman giggling to herself, "I wish I could say I had this planned, but this is even better than my wildest imaginations. My dear king, it shall be delightful to see if those parasites are worth fighting at your side. Maybe you'll realize what kind of queen you need."

 **HE**

 **IS**

 **MINE**

 **YOU**

 **GLORIFIED**

 **BITCH**

 **! ! !**

 **XXXXXX**

And that's my rap!

So, Hades being, well, Hades is still a suave jerk that enjoys what he does. Training Naruto to try to make him control his darkness better and sink some doubt and anger in him work somewhat in his favor, and mostly in Kaguya's. But as you may have realized with how unsubtle I am, even our favorite tragically plot-ignored goddess has yet to learn how to fully predict Naruto.

As for the darkness herself, the evil yandere loli sees Kaguya and even Mirage as proper tools to get Naruto where she wants regardless of the possible outcomes. She really wants to be the mother of his children. Though, no, it's not related to the Heartless put inside him to replace the nine-tailed fox, it's still because of the darkness Naruto had to deal with his entire life.

Hades has made it obvious here, Naruto has all the reasons to be mad at his father and the village, yet even if he knows he deserves to be mad, well, he can't really let his anger blind him. He is still far too attached to his friends to just forget the fact a slip may turn him into a killing machine. Painful as it may be, he tries. And now I just depressed myself.

Swordslinger out!


	12. Lord of domination

I OWN NOTHING

My lack of subtlety may be my best and worst attribute; I'll never write good horror stories or mysteries but I can try writing fun action stories.

 **XXXXXX**

Lord of domination  


 **WHEN**

 **SHALL**

 **HE**

 **REALIZE**

 **HE**

 **BELONGS**

 **TO**

 **ME**

 **? ? ?**

Back in the dark realm Naruto had been introduced to Kaguya's chill-inducing touch, we find a certain petite girl. Clad in her black robe and sitting on a throne made of solidified darkness, the embodiment of every Heartless' real self sighed to herself. Whether or not she was darkness itself didn't make things less dull when it came to what she wanted and how she wanted it. Her king had been found, a perfect knight for her.

"Well, well, well, still looking for that boyfriend?" a cheerful voice asked, but the girl didn't even bat an eye, "So you've found the perfect guy and he's surrounded by random two-bit girls, big deal! Come on, Your Highness, why not make him a puppet like all the others that failed to get the job done? You know you want to."

The girl's dark eyes turned to the source of the voice, before a single wave of her hand made the one speaking show himself, "I'm not in the mood for games, Bill Cipher." The one she spoke to was a two-dimensional creature. He was also a yellow triangle with a single eye, a tiny top hat, a bow tie below its eye, small stick arms and legs, and even a fancy cane.

He chuckled, despite having no mouth, "Puh-lease, girl, live a little! My pals and I could do a lot with another meathead like him as a failed King of Darkness. I'm talking full on turning the universe inside out with plenty of hearts for you to eat. What's the point of making these bozos into near unstoppable killing machines for you if you don't let them run free to get you snacks?"

The tiny embodiment of darkness rested her chin on her throne's armrest, "It wouldn't be the same. That heart of his is too strong to just devour. No matter how great the taste may be, if he lost himself like all the others that'd be a true waste. Even now with all I've done and everything those fools trying to use him have accomplished, he still has the strength to go on…"

Upon hearing her dreamy sigh at the end, Bill snickered, "Oh? Are you smiling? Is that a genuine smile in your face? Wow, whatever he's doing must be really driving you crazy."

The Darkness closed her eyes with a blissful grin on her face, "I want him to give me that light of his willingly, to accept me and become mine and mine alone. With his determination, together we would devour the light and destroy those who cast their shadows on many, creating me. Just like how those people in his world cast their shadows on him…"

"Kindred spirits, huh?" Bill chuckled, twirling his cane, "Well, I know the one reason I stick around is because you and I are on the same page. However, if he ends up being another dullard and breaks your precious pitch black heart, I shall have my own fun creating chaos beyond what that cat or that bunny could dream about. Just remember sense is senseless and reality is never real! Ta-ta!"

His entire body went flat then disappeared completely as he shifted between the realm of darkness and the realm of light easily. Leaving the Darkness with her eyes still closed. She snapped her dark orbs open suddenly after a few moments, dark smoke pouring from them as she let loose a long exhale.

In front of her a massive portal opened up, showing an endless sea of stars, darkness wafting through it until she saw a titanic ship floating through the pitch black eternity. Entire armadas of Heartless ships flowed from its form, swarming over worlds below them and devouring them and their hearts completely, sending them into the event horizon beyond her realm.

"My most beloved servant. One who has served me loyally for ages unknown, since the first light was snuffed out so long ago, I call upon your service my trusted warrior."

Her voice came out and seemed to echo throughout her chamber, the heartless themselves feeling her demands become known. The portal seemed to blur like a disturbed pool of water, before an arc of darkness shot from the ships bridge, a gigantic pillar of evil that rushed out of the portal and landed in front of the darkness.

The dark girl smiled widely as the darkness dissipated, revealing a massive masculine figure with a glowing green visor standing forth in front of her. Magma gushed from its pitch black armor as it bowed to her. Over its black armor stood the heartless symbol, with a caveat, it was her personal emblem to designate the figure as a direct agent of her will, a unique entity unlike other.

"Did you call for me, my lady?" the large figure asked.

The Darkness' voice came out melodious and deadly, like a lethal lullaby, "Rise and reveal yourself to me. I have a task only you can be trusted with… my first servant." Then, the figure's shrunk down fluidly, the helmet changing size and opening up revealing a bright green face, a little bit of silver hair appearing out of the helmet, and two burning red eyes that glowed with joy.

The armor clad form shifted as well, showing off a hint of flawless green leg, and looking like a long loin cloth that covered her surprisingly curvaceous backside. Her leg wore a white sock and black and yellow colored sneaker over its foot. Over her arms were yellow gloves currently raised into the air with utter excitement at being called by her queen.

The helmet she wore had a long arrow-tipped spike poking out of the top, and jagged yellow horns coming up from the sides. As for her chest, it was hidden behind her armor now modeled into what could be described as an armored t-shirt of a sort, with spiked shoulders naturally. The figure was obviously a female, and her cheery voice belied the horrors that she was unleashing upon the universe she had left behind.

"Heyo~! It's great to get the call from you, big boss lady! What can I, your destructive Lord Dominator, the chef of worlds, the absolute ultimate bad guy, or girl really, do for you? Need me to destroy this universe too? I'm almost done with the other one, at least ten trillion hearts and five hundred world hearts coming your way!"

The dark girl cupped Lord Dominator's cheeks, the oddly beautiful yet extremely evil young woman blushing slightly at the proximity between her and her queen and the Darkness' loving touch, "That Bill Cipher means to possibly kill my King, your future leader and general. I want you to protect him, infiltrate his group if need be, and make sure he stays on the proper path towards his crown."

Grinning cheekily, Lord Dominator nodded, "Like you'd have to worry, boss. After all, I love that my job and hobbies are one in the same, and I wouldn't mind having someone making it even more fun!"

The small girl nodded, "My Kingdom of Hearts needs its King, and little Xehanort has not properly prepared him yet. I want you to reign him in as well, remind the boy who he serves, and make sure Bill does not kill my king… or mind break him. Can you do these tasks for me, my first?"

Lord Dominator when let go bowed with utmost loyalty, her hands clasped together in prayer towards her goddess and in a fashion mother. Rising her head, two glowing yellow eyes replaced her red ones as she smiled with a mouthful of black jagged fangs, her green skin turning black briefly.

"Of course my queen. I, Lord Dominator, shall do as you ask of me. Always. And forever." She shifted back to her true form, her normal appearance that is, and smiled cheerfully with a salute.

"Do not harm him and bring him to me safely, is that understood?" the small girl asked, brushing the green girl's hair.

"I'll always do what you ask of me! You want your king to be a good general too? I've heard he's quite fearsome in battle from a few of my drones when giving it to you!" Lord Dominator asked her queen candidly, bumping the small girl's shoulder, "Admit it, you liked having him in your grasp, am I right?! Am I?! Be honest, my girl queen! How good was his heart in your grasp, and was he a good kisser?!"

The Darkness tittered like a schoolgirl in love, a blush coming over her face as she nodded cutely, "He is… So make sure he is ready for me. And be sure to train him about my likes too, my dearest."

"Cando! And what of his friends?" Lord Dominator saluted her queen with even more eagerness than before.

Her question making the Darkness smile nastily, "Kill them all if they attempt to prevent you from your work." Her face gained a massive fanged smile while her eyes became savage with murderous desire, Lord Dominator having a similar expression of intent to kill.

"Hail to you, my queen! It shall be done exactly as you wish." Lord Dominator transformed into her armored state, and disappeared with a dark blast of energy.

The Darkness held out her hand as a heart appeared in it, then bit into it with relish.

"I can rest easy knowing my first is taking care of him… May your work be done, my sweetie." The Darkness smiled cheerfully as she thought of what her first and most powerful Heartless of all would accomplish soon enough. "Soon my king… Soon." She whispered, shivering with delight at the inevitable success of her greatest servant.

Lord Dominator never failed a single mission or task for her in the well over several thousand years she had been working for her queen. Her loyalty was beyond absolute as Lord Dominator saw her as her goddess, queen, and mother in that order. Unlike the agents she was forced to rely upon until now, more without knowing they were used, Lord Dominator would do anything she desired.

How she loved her own brand of evil henchmen.

 **HOW**

 **WILL**

 **YOU**

 **BREAK**

 **MY**

 **DEAREST**

 **KING**

 **? ? ?**

Naruto and his friends sat at one side of the improvised arena, the blond was done explaining some rather grim news, "He's the one that pretty much sent me here. He was already stronger than me, but if he becomes a Heartless that's something I don't want to deal with."

"So this guy beat you because he was using only a fraction of his family's powers?" Connie asked with a raised eyebrow, and angry face, "How could that be any more unfair? It was like he was born to be perfect."

"As much inclined as I am to agree with you, Connie, there's much more pressing matters to take into account." Alice said, her voice managing to soothe the young sword wielder, "If this Sasuke does become a Heartless, who knows what could happen if he were near Naruto?"

"Yeah, no way do I want to have this key eat his heart, not because I like the guy but if all that anger in him got to me…" the whiskered Keyblade wielder felt sick just thinking of it, "Just looking at his eyes you can tell his anger is aimed at nothing yet everything at the same time, like nothing but his own hatred moves him forward."

"I fear I've seen men who would fit that description." Terra whispered loud enough for the others to listen, "Encounters like those are something I do not want to repeat, yet it must be done to stop danger."

Jasmine crossed her arms, "This Sasuke boy sounds like a much darker and far younger Jafar… A desire to kill his own family for vengeance without a second thought? I know that snake of Jafar was a monster deep down, but even so I couldn't picture him acting with as much cold blood as you described, Naruto."

"For real, he didn't even blink when stabbing you in the heart!" Steven cried, feeling a bit sick after hearing that detail, with Stitch saying some alien words that kids shouldn't hear, "Yeah, I may not know what he said but I know I agree! You were supposed to be his comrade, his compadre! Who does the front-stabbing for betrayal?! That's like double betrayal to backstabbing standards and the one you're stabbing!"

"I wouldn't worry about him, yet." Naruto said, arms crossed, "As easy as it was for him to follow Orochimaru, he's way below his brother's league to do a thing to him, even if he does become a Heartless. Then, there's the fact I don't think he'd succumb that easily unless two things happen: he either kills Itachi, which will take him years of training, or he feels like he has to give in more to his darkness."

"In that case, our second topic should be the elephant in the room." Jasmine said, looking at her blond friend, in the eyes, "You were taught by a god to control your darkness even if you knew he could have been tricking you, willingly. Sorry, Naruto, but you got to admit that was a very… very…"

Connie stepped in, "I believe she's trying to put nicely that it was a bad idea." She watched the genie girl nod before continuing, "I mean, you got out alright, but… what did you learn? Besides, you know, what we want to save for our third topic."

"I can think clearer when fighting, at the very least." Naruto answered truthfully, "Sure, he told me to focus my anger but he did it without wanting me to become a monster. Though, as for the third topic…"

"Someone's sealed in you along a Heartless…" Steven said, crossing his arms in thought, "Geesh, this is getting way too complicated real fast. But this lady knew you, right?"

Naruto hummed, "I don't know, I never saw her before in my life. Though she could be like the foxes in legends I've heard about and pretend to be human while she's really a… well, a monster."

Jasmine nodded, "That's something we should address as well as how this Hokage and others just…" she didn't want to continue, she didn't have the words and Naruto knew it.

His silence was another clear sign for his friends that it was a touchy subject, "I… I can't say that I fully understand your pain, Naruto, but I do know what it's like." Terra started, floating closer to him, "For what it's worth, even if Kaguya, that Hokage, Mirage, and the Darkness have tried to make you act the way they want you to, you have still chosen to be who you are now. Not them. You are who you've chosen to be."

Naruto lowered his head, making everyone stiffen at what he could say, before he looked at them with a large grin, "What're you even saying, Terra?! Of course I'm going to choose what I want to do! The first thing I want to do is help you guys, bring Sora, Riku and Kairi back together, and give the bad guys a piece of my mind!"

Alice stiffened a soft giggle, "Now there's the determined Naruto I know and love."

Hearing that, he gave her a thumb up worthy of Maito Gai, "Alright, so I take it you guys won't want to pull back your punches."

The petite blonde smiled back, "Of course not. If there's enemies like Sasuke and Orochimaru waiting for us, we can't stay idle."

Jasmine nodded, "And the best way to learn how to fight them, is to fight someone who understands them."

Steven rubbed his nose with his finger, "That means you, buddy. Sorry, but I won't let you get past my shield for this one."

Connie pumped her arms, "And I got to show you what I know, so don't even ask for me to make it easy for you!"

Terra laughed nervously, "I may… not be as straightforward, but I shall give it my all too."

Stitch merely laughed, "Going down! Going down!" he sang, giving the blond a thumb down.

Naruto chuckled, of course they would go all out, "Alright, then I'll show you what it's like to fight someone from my world."

"Enough pep talk!" Phil said as he barged in, "Alright, team, it's your turn to shine! Go into that arena and make whatever god may have bet on those guys regret their choice!"

After watching his friends wave at him and leave for the arena, Naruto was left alone with a small smile, "I still can't understand why you all fight for me, but… thanks…" with that said, he went to the stands. After all, he had to cheer for his friends if they wanted to do their best so badly. However, he was unaware of a figure observing him… until he bumped into her.

"Oh darn, my best skirt…" she growled, making him gasp when seeing her bare and curvaceous green leg, "Hey buddy, eyes up here."

The female figure in question was an astonishingly attractive woman who looked like no other girl he had ever seen before. She clearly displayed the fact that she was as curvaceous as Jasmine. She had a very nice backside that showed where all of her feminine growth went, which coupled with her thick yet juicy thighs made her have an extremely appealing figure.

Over her body she wore a long black over coat with spiked shoulder pads and a flaming skull on the back, which she combined with a pair of black pointy shades currently being taken off her face. She wore a dark colored skirt that was in the halfway point of being a normal to the ankles skirt and a mini skirt, giving off the barest hint of her panties showing that she preferred a warning stripe design.

Around her neck she wore a variety of necklaces, the most prominent of which was a silver heart with a lock upon it. To complete her outfit, she wore black fingerless gloves and a pair of yellow and black sneakers along with socks. She flipped back a head of messy white hair into a punkish style while chewing on a piece of bubblegum, blowing out a purple bubble with a nonchalant expression.

That combined with the outfit she wore, and overall punk like attitude made Naruto realize she wore the term delinquent like a badge of honor. He could tell she was also extremely strong if her intense red eyes were any indication.

"Sorry, but… who are you, and what's this feeling? I'm asking this because I can tell just from being near you that you control darkness well… and the last guy I met with that skill wasn't very friendly." Naruto couldn't help but ask that question while summoning his incomplete sword as the girl gave him a sharp toothed grin, giving him a thumbs up that showed she liked his question.

"It's all about teaching the darkness you don't take crap from it there, buddy. You give it even one inch, it'll rip a mile out of your sorry butt. Cute as it might be, tho." She spoke in a very easy going slang. Her tone was similar to some of the punks he knew back home which combined with her attitude that reminded him of a much saner Anko made Naruto stand up a little straighter, the girl grinning at him.

"You still haven't answered my question." He said, keeping his distance.

"Sup? My name's Leona Dorman. What's your name, sweet cheeks?" She offered him a stick of gum which he pocketed, rubbing the back of his head with a grin.

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki." He kept staring at her, dispelling his Keyblade, and whispering to himself, "What's this? I feel… comfortable around her… Why? Is she really…" he couldn't say more when she spoke.

"Naru, huh? Nice to meetcha, I'm a traveler of the worlds, been doing this thing since the barriers first got distorted ten years ago." Those words hit home.

"Oh… sorry…" he couldn't help but feel genuinely sad for someone like that after seeing what happens to those that lost their world.

But she waved it off with a large grin, "My world got devoured pretty quick by the darkness, and with it everything I once knew. I understand that. Don't look sorry there, man, I made my peace way back, so let's focus on the future, huh? I heard this place had a really strong hero, but all I've seen thus far are geeks and nerds fighting it out."

"You're taking it too awfully well, and some of those guys are my friends." He said, suddenly all comfort had been kicked out the window. Naruto did care for his friends, after all, and he couldn't overlook how cheerful the girl was despite talking of such a delicate subject. There had to be something wrong with her.

But the so called Leona didn't seem to pay him any mind, "Where's this great hero I've heard so much about? Heracles or whatever he was called?" She flopped down in a seat nearby him, a few citizens not even giving her a second glance, weirder beings came to the coliseum every year now. They had been since that event ten years ago when the greatest champion before Hercules himself took the arena by storm.

Naruto sat down right next to her, the girl leaning back with a nonchalant expression as she stole a bag of snacks from an unaware man, tearing into it with an expression of hunger. After licking the sweet honey covered glazed treats off her fingers. Naruto shivered despite himself as he saw her tongue wrap around each digit in a manner that if he didn't know better would say was sensual.

She herself didn't seem to be aware of what she was doing so she merely crumpled the bag after she was done eating, and he shrugged, "All I know is that you're definitely here to get in trouble." He said without moving his eyes away from her.

She smirked, snapping her fingers in a sassy way, "Wow, you're good. What gave it away, the fact I'm bored beyond belief or some instinct you have?"

"You… remind me too much of myself and someone I used to know." He didn't like to admit it, but he and Anko were alike.

The white haired girl walked over to him, swaying her hips as she danced around him, "Come on, what's a little fun without some chaos to get rid of the routine? After all, I bet you want to win big and show off, right? I mean, you're here with a sword made of darkness, you don't strike me as the puzzle solving kind of guy."

He tried to keep his ground, "So you're just here to have fun."

"Perhaps also to cheer you on and see how to rock a few joints." She said as she placed a hand on his shoulder, nearly shuddering in delight when feeling the darkness sleeping within him, "And I do know that I'll get some fine entertainment for once. So do your best, and remember…" Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine while she put her lips near his ear, pressing her cheek on his, "...play dirty, it's more fun that way."

And with that, she spun around and waved at him cheerfully with a large grin, before walking away with a giddy look on her face. Naruto for his part stared at his left hand, feeling that cold sensation once again run down his spine. It didn't feel like fear, more like an oppression, like he had to break free and push down the cold, to put it under his thumb.

Narrowing his eyes at the nearest wall, Naruto thrust his left palm, watching a gust of frozen air hit it and freeze it with ice coating its surface, "Wow… cool, pun intended! I don't know how I got this, but it's awesome!" he cheered, Steven had really rubbed off on him big time. With a childish grin, he extended his hand to a nearby oil lamp and blasted it with ice, getting rid of the fire and making a large popsicle.

Meanwhile, Lord Dominator giggled, "Man, he's so darn cute! I can't believe my lady chose such a good one this time! I mean, the others… ugh, she should've dialed them back. But this, this is some fun, I can tell! Just being near that dark heart of his made me want to sink into it and embrace it! Oh, I'm feeling a bit weak at the knees…" she said playfully to no one, or so it seemed, as she fanned her face with one icy hand.

The Darkness herself was also amused.

 **HE**

 **IS**

 **MINE**

 **AND**

 **YOU**

 **WILL**

 **TRAIN**

 **HIM**

 **PROPERLY**

 **MY**

 **CHILD**

 **. . .**

Finally, the tournament started fairly simple. Naruto's friends were about to enter the ring but had to face yet another surprise with Steven voicing his thoughts, "You guys are here too?!"

On the other side, a puzzled Sora and equally puzzled Goofy and Donald blinked in confusion, "Wait, if you guys are here then you also want to be heroes?" the brunet asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Pretty much." Connie said before stretching her hand, "I'm Connie, and you must be the Sora, Donald and Goofy Steven told me about."

A large smile spread on the Keyblade wielder's face, "You found her!" he cheered before confirming the girl's statement, "Sorry about that, I'm glad to see you two together! Anyway, yes, that's us."

"And we got a new pal." Steven said while Stitch stared at Sora, as if he had seen the boy before, "He saved my bacon in Traverse Town. Anyway, Sora, this is Stitch. Stitch, this are the guys we told you about."

"Oh, hello there, little guy." Sora said, about to reach him with one hand which Stitch sniffed before pulling his head back, "Hey come on, I don't bite." And then, Stitch licked Sora's hand, making the red clad boy shake his hand to get a sickeningly green colored saliva off. The girls laughed, and even Steven, Donald and Goofy couldn't hold back a few chuckles at the sight.

"Friend." Stitch said once Sora was done wiping the saliva off his fingers.

"That's one way to befriend someone, I kinda expected a handshake…" he groaned before turning to the others, "So, where's Naruto? If you guys are here, then Phil must have let you all try to-"

"He didn't let him in just by looking at Naruto." Jasmine said, fuming. "But I'm surprised you know him."

"Gwarsh, for reals?" Goofy asked, confused, "Then again, Phil is a tad stubborn, he didn't let us become hero trainees until we got a pass… But yeah, we do know the guy. Fella was a bit, um…"

"Rude." Donald continued for his friend, "That guy wouldn't know what real heroes are unless they show him some papers or someone hits him with lightning."

"That does sound like the Phil we know." Alice commented before turning to the brunet, "More importantly, if you are here than that means we shall meet as opponents."

"We decided to try and use this to train." Sora admitted, "Then I swear I saw Yuffie bragging about how many newbies' butts she'd kick and, well, I kind of wanted to see what all the fuzz was about."

Terra sighed, "I swear that girl is as subtle as… well, our dear mutual friend." Everyone knew she was talking of a certain blond, making them snicker a bit.

Sora grinned, "Well, what's up with Naruto? Is he ok?"

"At the moment he's… well, it's a long story." Jasmine started, "I swear, I'm just a year older than him, and he-"

"Wait, you're fifteen?!" as always, Sora's tact was not the best in all worlds.

Jasmine blushed but nodded, "Yes, is that really such a surprise?"

Connie blushed as she adjusted her glasses, "Well, I understand why he'd be that shocked given how tall you are… I mean, imagine my surprise when I thought Steven was younger than me because I was taller but turned out to be fourteen."

Everyone turned to the small boy with wide eyes, and he shrugged, "As cliché as this is, you never asked."

"Never judge a book by its cover, I guess." Goofy thought out loud.

"That's rule thirty-two." Phil said as he walked by, "And you rookies, you better be prepared, you didn't get the title of trainees to look pretty!"

"Sir, yes sir!" they all saluted him, waiting for the satyr to turn around before snickering to themselves in silence.

After wishing each other luck, both parties parted ways, and soon Naruto's friends found their first opponents… None other than Leon and Yuffie.

"Well… this is a surprise." The scarred swordsman said in a dull tone and raised eyebrow as he hefted his sword on his shoulder.

"Sorry guys, it seems your first battle will be a loss." Yuffie said with a cheeky grin as she leaned forward with her hands behind her back, trying to act like an innocent kid.

Steven grinned, "Don't feel sorry for us, we're going to do this together and it's gonna be great!"

And like a gong had signaled them to start, everyone got into their stance. Leon held his sword with both hands while Yuffie at his side took a crouched stance with shurikens in her hands and a smile on her face. Steven and Connie stood side by side as sword and shield, Jasmine held her sword in a loose stance, Terra floated while clasping her hands, Alice aimed the tip of her Keyblade forward, and Stitch took aim.

The small alien cackled, "Meega nala kweesta!"

Leon frowned, "Ok, you just made this personal."

"You understand him?" Yuffie asked, as surprised as everyone else.

"If you want to know what he said, you need to be older, all of you." The stoic swordsman said.

Stitch mocked Leon by making a bring-it motion with his two right arms, waving his guns at him. This had the desired effect of the sword wielder rushing at him and the small blue creature jumping up, firing. To the audience's pleasure, if the loud cheers said anything, Leon didn't go down that easily and started to cut through green plasma shots before swinging his sword at Stitch. He was surprised to find a shield.

"Sorry if he made you mad, but we're here to win!" Steven said, grunting as he barely managed to halt the attack before, to Leon's confusion, holding his shield over his head.

Everyone at the stands gasped or roared in delight at seeing Connie jump, use the shield like a step to get higher in the air, and bring down her large sword on Leon. The brunet clenched his jaw and clashed his gun-blade against the large pink saber. Sparks flew in the air before the older swordsman had to dodge to the side, rolling away from several plasma shots from four guns.

Throwing out a barrage of kunais that pierced the ground, Yuffie dashed through the air, her entire body seeming to move via pure speed. Steven looked at the kunai in confusion until a sizzling sound made him gulp slowly. A bunch of explosive tags just hit their end and with an explosion that leveled the ground, he was sent flying up and into the air, a barrier dissipating from around his body when he hit the ground.

Connie went to his side, helping him up, with cover from a good friend, "Leon!" Stitch tossed his guns into the air, then slammed all four of his arms into the broad side of the gun-blade being swung at him.

The sheer force packed in the tiny alien's body sent the gun-blade flying, before Leon acrobatically flipped into the air using Stitch's own strength against him to aid in his aerial flight, his leg coming down in an axe kick that his opponent rolled away from. An explosive blast of fire heralded Leon rising his leg up, fire dancing across it and his body as he flipped his hair back.

Stitch dusted himself off as Leon clenched his fists tightly, fire bursting over their surface as the warrior showed he didn't need a sword to fight, "I taught myself how to use fire magic in ways no one else had before to stop Heartless from stealing the hopes and dreams of others." Throwing his arm out, fire erupted out in an arc as the man dropped his furry jacket, now standing in his white shirt.

Stitch looked unimpressed until he cracked his knuckles, "Numba peeklo junta kaoh! Leon not so tough!" Stitch let loose a long series of curses in his alien tongue, rising his claws in a come hither gesture and then bringing them up to catch his guns.

Just as both raced at each other with Leon throwing a fiery punch that Stitch jumped to the side to avoid before jumping at him and trying to hit him, Yuffie cursed her luck, "As always, Leon gets all the fun!" The petite and nimble dark haired kunoichi had to do flips, cartwheels and pull disappearing acts to avoid the other three girls.

If she got close to Alice, she'd at least try to parry her strikes before hitting her with light magic. Jasmine was capable of conjuring fire and lightning bolts to try to strike her from a distance, and her sword. Terra for her part needed to chant to create hurricanes or blast the small girl with large ice shards. All the while the agile kunoichi would throw shurikens in rapid fire motions while trying to keep her distance.

Naruto watched it all from the stands, close to a couple of dark cloaked figures and pumping his fists, "Alice, if she jumps and starts throwing shurikens, run in zig-zag to get to her and put a little jump in your step!" he grinned when the young blonde girl did as told to try to corner Yuffie, who had to vanish in a cloud of smoke.

"Come on, play fair!" the bob cut kunoichi cried as she jumped into the air with what looked like a large kunai in her hand, before unfolding it to reveal a large shuriken. She threw it, somehow making it spin around her in a circle that pushed back the girls and Terra's attacks. Without another word, she started doing black-flips to keep her distance from them and thus the chase began again.

Alice swung her Keyblade, a dozen light arrows flying from the tip straight at the more agile girl. Jasmine for her part tried to keep close by shooting fireballs from her fingertips. Terra, as kind as she was, decided to go all out when summoning three simultaneous tornadoes to follow Yuffie. It didn't take a genius to know that the petite ninja girl wasn't having a very fair fight.

The lanky man at his side whistled for his part, "Not bad for an amateur, but I guess you're not cheering her on for nothing."

"Of course¿!" the blond boasted, "She's one of the first friends I've made, and she really has grown since we met! She's really amazing!"

"Heh, sounds like you really are fond of her… Oh, where are my manners? Name's Axel, that's A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" the lanky figure said, confusing Naruto for a good two seconds.

"Well, mine's Naruto, and don't you forget it." The blond said with a cocky grin.

"I don't think anyone could forget some kid like you even if they wanted to." Axel joked as he observed the girls his new friend liked, grinning under his hood, "So, who do you like the most?"

"What's that about?" Naruto asked confused.

Axel chuckled, "Come on, you're practically a kind when you've got three cute girls there that you seem fond of and that you're obviously close to. If you've got to be with them, you should try to choose… Or perhaps you got them to share?"

Naruto's face became redder than Jasmine's outfit, "Come on, man, I barely met you and you're worse than a friend of mine when teasing!"

Riku sneezed in another world, unaware of Axel waving his hands dismissively, "Ok, ok, I'll try to be nicer, then… no promises, though. Still, even if you're not looking for a girlfriend you deserve to enjoy what you have and take what you want. Why not take their hearts… as a lover, I mean?"

Naruto sighed, "First, I have to find a lost friend and also help many others deal with some serious stuff before I try to think on having a girlfriend. Then, I'll kick your ass for being such a smartass."

Axel just grinned wider, "Love you too, man." He ducked under a punch from the smaller cloaked youth, "Come on, I'm just teasing you. Admit it, it's part of the charm."

Naruto smirked, "Is that why you're single?"

Axel stood silent, before clapping slowly and taking off his hood to show a smile, "Wow, good jab, my good sir, good one." He revealed himself to be a young man with very spiky red hair that'd put Jiraiya's to shame, with bright green eyes full of life, and odd marks under them that made Naruto think of Kiba for a brief second.

"I guess you rubbed on me." The blond commented.

"Perhaps it'd be better if you didn't let him rub on you." The lanky young man's companion said, "After all, I've got enough on my platter looking after one knucklehead."

"Ah, such wit…" Axel said faking nostalgia, "Reminds me of when you used to be fun."

"I tried to experience fun once… I didn't enjoy it." His friend stated.

"I can tell." Naruto said dully, making Axel cry before bringing up his fist, which the blond bumped his into.

The fights kept going and getting stranger when Stitch jumped in the air, bit his feet, and rolled in the air like a ball. Leon dodged to the side, only to get a shield to the face that made him stagger back. He growled when seeing Stitch jump at him and brought up his leg to kick the small koala-like alien. With fire covering his boot, he easily knocked Stitch out of the air before bringing up his other leg to send him higher up.

In doing so, Steven grabbed his shield, raced at the man and simply charged like a football player. Leon narrowed his eyes and shot a fireball which Steven ducked under, using his shield to deflect it and make it fly up. Once again on the offensive, Leon stepped forward and tried to punch Steven in the face… only to see him jump fifty feet into the air!

"This kid's just full of surprises." He said in disbelief.

"It's not all I can do!" Steven said as he brought up his hand, catching the airborne Stitch and spinning both of themselves in the air. With a cackle, Stitch was launched at Leon, curling into a ball to try to smash him on the chest.

Of course, Leon had been paying too much attention to Stitch to focus on someone else, "Overhead…" Connie's voice alerted him too late that he was between the two, "Death Strike!" she jumped up and used the flat side of her sword to try to smash Leon on the face.

Reacting quickly, the brown haired swordsman spun around and spread his arms, letting one take the pain from Connie's swing and using the other to try to push Stitch back. He couldn't do the latter, however, as the small creature used his four arms to grab on to the scarred man and crawl up to his head, covering his eyes with two hands with the others keeping him on Leon's head.

Steven had just landed on the floor and threw his shield, but not at Leon but at Connie. Almost like it had been scripted and rehearsed to death, the dark skinned girl jumped to the shield, kicked it to jump off, and soared through the air right at Leon. Seeing this Stitch laughed even harder as he jumped off and shoved Leon straight at the smaller and younger sword wielder.

The crowd winced when he got hit on the face by the pink sword's blunt side with such force he flipped in the air, twice, before hitting the floor!

And off to the side, Yuffie could only giggle meekly while moving her hands, the only parts of her body that weren't in a block of ice like her head, "Uh… you guys didn't take the whole we beating you easily too serious, did you?"

Terra smiled meekly as she brought up a hand, her index finger and thumb half an inch away from the other, "Just a bit…"

 **TO**

 **SEE**

 **THEM**

 **GROW**

 **MEANS**

 **YOU**

 **SHALL**

 **HAVE**

 **A**

 **GREAT**

 **FEAST**

 **WHEN**

 **YOU**

 **ACCEPT**

 **ME**

"Guys, that was amazing!"

The group shouldn't have been surprised to find Naruto rushing to them when they exited the arena and hug them. The first ones were Steven and Connie since they were the closest, being lifted in Naruto's arms. After learning the wonders of having friends, the marvels of hugging someone and being hugged by them was something Naruto started to enjoy greatly. Both young warriors returned the hug with smiles.

"You bet we were!" Steven cheered before pulling back, "I mean, sure, Leon did rough us up but then Stitch had our back and we had his, and did you see what Connie did?!"

Connie beamed, putting on a serious face, but she still remained unable to contain a smile, "Well, Stitch was really impressive as were you, Steven, not only did you handle Leon's fire kung-fu but without you two I wouldn't have had the chance to knock him out."

"Knock out cold!" Stitch cheered, punching his fists into his palms.

"You girls did great too, though with you three ganging on Yuffie it didn't come as a surprise." He said to the girls, before hugging a then very red Alice, "You were really awesome, Alice, I can see clearer why you're a Princess of the Heart! You've really gotten stronger."

"Please, do not flatter me like that." She really did want him to continue, though, "After all, I have to catch up with you, and I'll admit it was my and Jasmine and Terra's combined efforts that made victory easy."

Naruto nodded before turning to the other princess and the magician girl, "You girls were great too. Jasmine, you're like a walking master of firepower with your magic, you may be a genie but you went all out! And Terra, I don't know why you act so shy when you're this cool! The way you use all that power like you were dancing actually makes me envious."

Jasmine beamed, "Well, I do have all this phenomenal if limited cosmic power, I may as well use it to give you a hard time."

Terra nodded, looking away with a blush, "Yeah… I mean… Everyone's great, though I still had trouble, I couldn't really say I had things under control and-"

"And you still did great, and don't doubt it!" the whiskered boy cheered, getting a bashful smile from the green haired girl, and getting her some pouts from the two princesses.

"Naruto!" A happy male voice made Naruto whirl around with a grin, Sora running up to him with Donald and Goofy right behind him. The boy of the sky clasped arms with the boy of the whirlpool, both grinning happily as they cheered together at seeing each other again. "Any news on Riku or Kairi?" Sora had to ask, making Naruto shake his head sadly for the second.

"I haven't seen anything of her… I'm sorry. Riku is still the same as ever looking for her, but until he does, I'm afraid we're going to have to continue looking for her ourselves." Naruto explained, his best friend exhaling sharply, before nodding with a smile.

"I know we'll find her, with all of us looking, we'll find her eventually, I know it! But I'm here for another reason too. I want to fight the champion, Hercules! Don't you want to test your strength against him too?"

His question made Naruto grin back, nodding at him "He's more of a hero than the fourth leader of my old village ever was, I want to see how strong he is too." Backing away slowly, Donald and Goofy found Sora beckoning them to move away himself, his grinning face making Naruto smirk.

Both boys held out their Keyblades while Sora could only smile back, "I've gotten stronger too, you know? Let's see how strong you are now Naruto!"

The crowd went silent in anticipation as both boys were now facing each other on their own. Their respective parties watching with smiles yet also slight worry, for Naruto would be fighting alone against Sora, Donald and Goofy. However, that didn't mean they didn't have faith in him, admittedly they worried for both sides and what they could do.

"Sorry good buddy, but we can't hold back." Goofy said behind his shield.

"Hah, like I would have." Donald boasted, readying his rod.

"You heard them, don't think we'll make this easy." Sora said, beaming while getting into his stance.

"If you're giving your all, I can't stand idle either." Naruto said, loosening up slightly, "Ever since I saw you and Riku compete, I did want to join you."

"When we return home, we can see who's the strongest." Sora said, making his friend nod before both ran at each other.

Meanwhile, in the stands 'Leona' chuckled darkly as she melted through her seat, reappearing in the darkened halls and corners of the arena where no one, not even Hades saw her.

"Time to have some fun… Hehe! I've been waiting….!" Her helmet formed around her face, while her outfit morphed into its armored state, with a snap of her fingers, she gained vicious magma arms which she crossed with a dark smile, "It's… **show time**!"

Just as Naruto and Sora were about to match blades, grinning widely at each other, a blast of darkness erupted in front of them, a torrent of pure dark energy that devoured the sun above. Pouring down into a virtual waterfall, waves of darkness heralded the arrival of a gigantic figure that towered above them. Magma poured from its armored legs and shoulders, forming burning arms that crossed themselves seriously.

Sora pointed Kingdom Key at the figure warily, as did Naruto with his Keyblade. The Heartless symbol that glowed upon its chest clearly designated it as a servant of the Darkness herself. More threateningly it exuded pure evil just looking down at them, its glowing green visor sucking in all light and seeming to dominate their vision entirely.

"Is that…?" Goofy started, going wide-eyed, "It is! I thought the king had managed to seal away this fella!"

"You know this guy?" Sora asked in surprise.

Goofy nodded with a grimace, "That's Lord Dominator… No one really knows much about him, just that he's one of the most powerful Heartless ever seen."

Naruto tensed up, "Wait, for real?" he had to think on many things, "That means, if I beat this Heartless, I could get really stronger or in a really bad situation…"

Donald shuddered before looking at the two boys, their eyes determined despite the oppressive atmosphere, and steeled his nerves, "We have to teach this guy a lesson! Come on, you two, this is our fight now!"

"Wait, doesn't he seem… odd?" Goofy noted, and indeed, the Heartless before them hadn't moved or really done much.

Several tense seconds passed before the figure bowed its head towards Naruto, surprising everyone.

" **Hail to you, my king**!" the figure said in a deep, raspy voice before turning to Sora and his friends, " **It's a pleasure to finally meet you, and the supposed Keyblade chosen… how amusing. He thinks he can actually fight me. I bear unfortunate news child, you're up against the true power of a master of darkness. Thus, begone!**

With a single snap of the newcomer's fingers, a dark explosion sent the trio flying back. Soaring through midair the young man was barely able to stab his Keyblade into the ground, using it to halt his flight if only barely at that but his friends were blown away. He could only stretch out his hand helplessly as the figure grabbed Naruto by his collar, lifting him up singlehandedly, and then threw him besides Sora.

"Dammit!" Sora cursed after Naruto landed on his back, "We should really stop meeting like this, don't you think?"

Naruto got up on wobbly legs, "You mean having to face some really powerful Heartless that could kill you and make me the Darkness' lover boy?" he asked sarcastically.

"Wow, Riku rubbed on you." Sora joked before the two got into their own stances before the Heartless.

"Let's not give him reasons to make jokes about us, then." Naruto said, feeling full of determination when standing by Sora's side, the brunet's own willpower and drive to fight was inspiring for the blond.

" **Oh, isn't this cute?!** " the figure squealed, clapping its hands in a way that took a lot of the intimidating factor, " **You think me, the one and only Lord Dominator, conqueror and destroyer of worlds for the Darkness, playing with you two means you have an actual chance! Oh, that's just adorable! I'll have to take pictures and post them on my wall after I'm done here.** "

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy shouted, trying to get to their friend, only for Lord Dominator to snap her fingers, causing a dark barrier to appear that both anthropomorphic warriors crashed into face first.

" **Now, this is going to be fun, my king…** "

"Don't act so high and mighty." Naruto said, getting ready for battle while summoning ice around his left hand, "I may be a dark king, but my friend here is more than fit to be a king of the light."

" **Then I shall partake in some regicide!** "

 **DO**

 **NOT**

 **HOLD**

 **BACK**

 **MY**

 **DEAR**

 **! ! !**

And that's my rap!

Surprised at the Darkness' allies? There will be more, and like I said I am using Disney cartoon villains too. Why these two? Because they're fun, plain and simple. Lord Dominator as a Heartless kind of makes sense since she loves being pure evil like she's getting paid for it. Meanwhile, Bill Cipher is the most amusingly evil nacho in the universe, and let's be honest, him messing with Kaguya and Mirage is too good to pass up.

Next chapter will be a good fight, the conclusion to the coliseum arc, and the start of a new one.

Swordslinger out!


	13. Dusk or Dawn

I OWN NOTHING

Here we are, no regrets. This fic fills me with determination!

 **XXXXXX**

Dusk or Dawn  


 **SHOW**

 **ME**

 **WHAT**

 **GOOD**

 **YOUR**

 **LIGHT**

 **IS**

 **! ! !**

There was a loud roar from both spiky haired boys as they raced at Lord Dominator, the disguised green skinned girl, who had posed as a good person to Naruto before the fight. She just grinned under her helmet. By merely bringing up a hand, she shot a barrage of lava that solidified instantly, creating a spiked mace that stopped both Keyblades from harming her. Grinning wider, she punched both boys flat on their backs.

Insanely strong barely described her, for a single punch made the two fly back, but it didn't break their will. With sharp eyes, Sora righted himself in the air, skidding to a halt once his feet made contact with the ground. Naruto got a bit more creative, summoning his shield midair with his left hand, and using it as a step to jump back at Dominator. She merely laughed, showing her amusement without shame.

" **You two are adorable!** " her arms morphed into hot burning lava swords the size of her body, " **Just amateurs, though.** "

She casually blocked their strikes and pushed them back, swiping at their legs to make them jump. Once again midair, the two Keyblade wielders clenched their teeth when her arms morphed into gigantic fists that she threw at them, actually shooting beach ball sized lava blasts at both. And yet again, Naruto summoned his shield while Sora, using his wit, shot ice to freeze and completely stop the projectile coming his way.

A certain redhead munched on his popcorn with a smile, "Now this is entertainment." His bulkier companion remained silent, though he did attempt to get a hold of the snack, to which Axel replied by slapping the hand away, "Get your own." His friend growled and kept watching the match.

Meanwhile, Naruto's friends and Sora's companions were trying to get in, Donald turning to Jasmine, "Can't he wish us to enter this barrier, what about you getting back to your ring to help him?!"

"I've tried!" Jasmine shouted back, slamming a glowing hand on the barrier only to pull it back with a yelp and smoke coming out from where she placed it, "I'm just a genie of the ring, and even Genie had trouble with barriers and magic like this!"

"We can cheer them on, though!" Steven put his hands together over his mouth, "You guys hold on, there's got to be a way to break this thing and help you out! In the meantime, kick his butt!"

Dominator made a finger gun gesture at the boy, " **Good line there, pal. But you've kind of sold me short… Oh well…** " her hand glowed a cold blue, her finger taking aim at the battle ready boys, " **Just don't make me say a lame ice pun as I beat you twice over.** " From her fingertips sharp icicles flew out straight at the two swordsmen, with a freezing gale of wind following.

Sora rolled out of the way, while Naruto jumped over the strike with his sword over his head and swiftly brought it down on Dominator. She merely brought up an arm and made him realized his mistake when he saw and felt the ice forming around his blade and arms. His feet landed on the ground but Dominator didn't let him get away, she grabbed his other arm and started to cover his body in a thick layer of ice.

"Let him go!" Sora shouted, pointing his Keyblade at the heavily armored girl and shooting a fireball. He watched her simply swat it aside with a red glowing hand before shooting a large lava hand at him. The molten rock limb stretched like it was rubber, making Sora take the more defensive approach of getting his ass out of dodge. And all Naruto could do was glare at the girl freezing him, which in turn had her smiling.

" **Don't be so… Oops, almost said a bad pun.** " She giggled, smiling cheerfully at her capture beneath her mask, " **Really, though, I'm a bit disappointed. For how much the Darkness herself seems to like you, you've made this too easy. Who am I kidding, though? I love it when I can have some fun beating the snot out of guys like you!** " she traced a finger along his jaw, knowing it'd give way to a strong, manly face soon.

And, in a brilliant stroke of simultaneous genius and sheer willpower, or rather just stupidity, Naruto reared his still non-frozen head back, and slammed his forehead on Dominator's mask! The force had been enough that she felt the impact right between the eyes through the thick armor. And thus, taking a couple of steps back, she let him go… though he was still frozen and with a bleeding forehead.

And yet, with his upper body covered in ice and his face getting paler, he spoke as firmly as he could, "Did that disappoint you?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

Dominator stared blankly at him, before wishing he could see her face when she licked her lips, " **You just made my day a lot more fun…** " and she casually said that while blocking Sora's Keyblade with a single arm. She effortlessly pushed the brunet back towards Naruto, who was struggling to get free until his fellow blue-eyed Keyblade wielder aimed his sword at him.

"Fire!" Sora had taken careful aim to just melt the ice and not burn his friend, who let out a sigh of relief when the warmth spread through his body.

His blond friend was glad he could wipe the blood off his forehead, "Any ideas?" Naruto could really use a suggestion or observation.

He had fought Neji and Kiba and beat them with his wits or, in the dog shinobi's case, pure dumb luck mixed with an odd plan. Zabuza was a Jounin he managed to fool with a plan he made on the fly. And yet there he was, facing Lord Dominator, a Heartless he knew had to be far stronger than any of those three combined. As much as he didn't dare to admit it, the masked figure was just playing with him and enjoying it.

"Just a simple plan of attack." Sora gripped his sword tighter, "Attack!" he rushed forward, Naruto following soon after since he had no idea what else to do.

Dominator merely laughed, " **Oh you guys are too much!** " she leaned away from their crisscrossed strike, smirking at them, before punting Sora back and staring at Naruto, " **What do you think you're doing, though? Do you actually believe that crap of being a hero? Please! I've seen countless guys trying to fight being the King of Darkness that I've recorded their cries to sleep to them at night. I even made a song out of it.** "

"Yeah, but they've all failed to be a King of Darkness, so what makes you think I'll go down the same way?" Naruto aimed his sword at her, also keeping himself between Dominator and Sora while he got up.

" **Oh, you really don't know what my job is about!** " she said with glee, " **Well then, I came here to show you, the fun way!** "

She slammed her hands on the ground, the magma shooting at the boys and solidifying, turning into countless deadly spikes. Seeing his she was aiming at Sora, Naruto brought up his Keyblade, summoning his energy shield which deflected every strike. And then, he was surprised when Sora acted. With a single jump, the spiky haired brunet placed a foot on Naruto's shoulder and leapt at Dominator.

For a single second, everything seemed to stop when she had to clamp both of her red hot glowing hands to stop the Keyblade from hitting her helmet, " **Listen here, you little brat, it's not about caring or not, it's about the fact your friend has enough darkness in him that he could become something worse than me.** "

"Like I care!" he said determined, even after his feet touched the ground and Dominator started pushing him back. "If you think he'll become the King of Darkness, I'll do everything to prove you wrong!"

" **That's…** " Dominator started, before pulling one hand back and punching Sora in the gut, " **Twenty-one times I've heard that line!** " she roared while he fell down to his knees, her other hand still clutching Kingdom Key to keep him in place for another punch that didn't connect. She grunted when seeing Naruto spin at her, one leg outstretched in the Soldier Heartless' signature spinning kick.

"Don't forget, you're fighting more than one of us!" Naruto's eyes were burning while his foot clashed against Dominator's fist, keeping her from punching his friend.

Growling, her magma arm morphed and grabbed his leg, she gripped Kingdom Key tighter, and lifted up both boys in the air while her magma covered their bodies like a cocoon, " **Really, you're using the attacks of one of the weakest Heartless? You're really an amateur if you haven't used what you have in store! If I weren't so amused by it and about to laugh, I'd be slamming you two on the ground… oh, what the heck?!** "

Without another word she lifted the boys like ragdolls and started introducing their faces multiple times with the ground before finally letting them go. Both tried to get up once again, only to realize that their bodies were covered in magma and that it was tougher than steel. Naruto grunted and tried to see if he could wiggle an arm out, but it was like he was covered in thick chewing gum that had been frozen.

Sora also felt the stretchy yet annoyingly thick armor resist his attempts to break free and could only watch as Dominator approached his friend, " **That was fun while it lasted, I just love it when a pair of goody two shoes try to fight back, it makes victory that much sweeter. You know, it's that little sweat you work out that makes it all taste better. The little things, like burning a town while making its princess watch.** "

"You're sick!" Sora shouted.

" **Flattery will get you nowhere!** " Dominator said in a sing-song tone, which made it odd seeing she was using a deep, dark voice, " **But enough about me, let's talk about you, Your Highness!** " And, to everyone's shock, and Naruto's shame, she mentally commanded her lava to expose his chest. Then she proceeded to grab his shirt and rip it off.

Naruto's cheeks went red, "What're you doing?!" he snapped, trying to get away from the armored girl, but her solidified lava and a tight grip on his shoulder kept him in place.

" **Let's see if you're really worthy for my queen!** " Dominator trailed a finger on his chest, marveling at the fact that at such a young age he had a flat stomach that showed slowly developing abs and hard pectorals. Joyful didn't begin to describe the expression on her face when she sunk her finger, needing no effort whatsoever to thrust through Naruto's chest and get his heart.

He gasped, pain shooting through his body similar to when he first met Kairi. It was agonizing, to the point his nerves gave up before he could even scream and his eyes started rolling back while she sunk her digit deeper into his flesh to everyone's horror. And it seemed that the whole seeing your life flash before your eyes was true. Naruto, in his brief moment of consciousness after being stabbed, reflected on his life.

Arriving to where he was hadn't been pretty. Ignored by the village, always in everyone's shadow in the academy, the loneliness, and the desire to be someone even if it meant pranking people. Just a little recognition, it was all that he wanted. He risked his life for Sasuke just so the Uchiha could accept him, to see him as an equal and not as a bother. Promising Sakura to bring him back was to earn her acceptance, everyone's…

And yet… the memories that stuck with him the most were the ones with Sora, Riku and Kairi, even if he had spent a day conscious with them, it was all he had that he'd call truly beautiful in his life. They didn't need him to do anything, they didn't want anything from him, and they would never look at him for what he was born like or what he was. They merely accepted him because they wanted to, dark king or not.

Then, his journey. Meeting Alice in an odd land, protecting her along Steven, Terra guiding him through Traverse Town, seeing Agrabah with Jasmine, and being introduced to Stitch and Connie. Traveling with them, being encouraged, accepted, listened to, cared for… None of them wanted anything in return, and he wanted to help them. But… why? What moved him forward to do this, for all these strangers?

" **They only are with you because you're useful to them… After all, only you could move through worlds and help them out, only you can do what they can't. You… know that's what friendship is about… Sora, Riku, and Kairi wanted to see other worlds, and you were useful for that. That's what friendship is, people using you as a step to gain something… Or did you think they'd want you if you weren't useful?"**

Naruto's eyes snapped wide, and he stared at a grinning Dominator, "You…"

She grinned underneath her mask, almost cackling, " **You're coming to your senses, are you not, My King? This darkness in you… Now I can see why your future queen is so intoxicated by it, you-** " her words died in her throat when Naruto slammed his forehead once again on her mask! " **What?!** " she grunted, letting him go and stepping back.

Naruto groaned as he forced himself to remain on his feet, "I want to help everyone I can reach... just like Sora, Riku and Kairi helped me! When I see someone in need, I can't help but recall how they helped me and how great I felt! If anyone needs me to stretch my hand to them, I'll gladly do so, and I'll fight to protect them and those I care about! Want to know why?! Because I don't need a reason, I just want to!"

Sora grinned, remembering he said a line like that when he met the boy. Lord Dominator seemingly went silent, her fists clenching rapidly before the massive Heartless leaned back and laughed vilely. Her tone came out in a sinister chuckle before she focused her green glowing visor on the two Keyblade wielders.

" **How amusing! You really think you can hold out against the powers of Darkness, do you? Well then… let's test that!"**

Slamming her fists together, Lord Dominator rose them to the sky then punched the ground savagely, a massive explosion detonating out and shooting the two back. Before he could do anything, she pantomimed throwing something at him, his eyes shot up and he gaped. Naruto flew into the wall of the colosseum, blearily looking up only to get a gigantic ice ball to the face, knocking him completely out of breath.

The sounds of battle faded away as he saw Sora fight Lord Dominator as his consciousness started to fade, he tried to reach for him, to his friend… He just wanted to help him, a pure wish from his heart!

 _You will not harm this one!_

 _Go back to the shadows you wretched fiend!_

 _I will protect him, since I was unable to protect the last three!_

 _You will not touch any more of my children!_

 **HE IS MINE!**

 **MINE!**

 **MINE!**

 **MINE…**

 **YOU LIGHT BITCH…!**

His vision returned as all was pure white, the calming sounds of water dripping played in the background. Naruto rose his head tiredly, finding himself unable to move, he worried for half a second until he realized he was merely being held in the arms of a woman. Her gentle voice soothing his worries by humming, for a second Naruto felt utterly safe until he remembered what he had just left, and he meant to sit up rapidly until he was soothed by her humming again.

" _My child… my poor child of light, what has the Darkness been filling your head with to make you so agitated?"_ Her words made him look up in confusion as the woman let him sit up so he could face her.

He immediately wished he hadn't as his face gained a massive blush due to how astonishingly beautiful she was. Long back length blonde hair flowed down her head in straight lines, a small circlet made out of glimmering silver covered her head and kept two bangs out of her face. Her eyes were pure blue, bluer than even his, gently looking into his with a gaze of motherly concern. Her skin was pale, almost pure white with a degree of softness to it that defied the norm. Over each arm were a pair of silver bracelets that possessed brilliant sapphire gems inlaid into them.

Her body itself was extremely well blessed, with a shape and volume to put Tsunade's to shame contained with a white dress that went all the way down her hips, covering them up but still showing her curves. Said dress was fashioned like a robe wrapped over her chest, showing her bare shoulders, neck and arms with multiple ruffles and frills all over its surface. Her ears were pointed like an elf's almost, and were unadorned, giving more attention to her heart-shaped face. As she sat up, he noticed she was absolutely taller than him, and stood at least two heads above him.

Backing away from her slowly after she let him up, the woman stood up to her full height, her expression one of immense melancholy.

"Who are you? And how do you know the Darkness…?" The woman closed her eyes with a small nod, before they snapped open revealing pure glowing white orbs.

Her hair flowed back behind her suddenly, forming six long waves akin to the wings of a seraph, while a glowing multi-ringed halo appeared over her head. Blue glyphs floating around her body as her skin shone with powerful light. Despite its radiant glow, Naruto found it was gentle and above all kind in how it shone upon him, he looked upon the Light herself with wide eyes as she stepped forward.

" _I am the guardian, and mother, of all those would cherish the light that shines inside the eyes of children. I am the protector of those who saw fit to wield their mighty Keyblades in the protection of that beautiful glow. If that girl is the Darkness, then you may call me… Simply the Light."_

The woman spoke and despite the powerful tone she had, her voice was kind and generous as always. Her hair flowed back to normal as Naruto looked reluctant to ask a question of one so obviously splendid, but her encouraging smile made him bite the bullet.

"But why me? Why talk to me? Weren't there other Keyblade wielders before me? Hell… Aqua-chan, wasn't she a Keyblade user too?"

The Light closed her eyes painfully, exhaling softly before she began speaking once more, " _The Darkness has not told you anything of value, has she my child? Only hatred, only hunger, only anger resides in her heart… You may speak to me, and I to you, because she chose you. The King of Darkness, you exist on a wavelength incomparable to any of my warriors of yore. You can perceive my form, because you can perceive hers. Two sides of the same coin, one of the light, one of the dark. But dark does not mean evil, nor does light mean good. Even I am not above anger and spite, just as she is not above love and kindness."_

The Light gently reminded him of his potential, her eyes closed as if painful memories of past losses went through her mind, "I don't get it? While it makes sense, shouldn't you be away from me?"

She smiled and placed a hand on his chest, a white glow emanating from her palm and his heart, " _You know the answer already… She gives you power, but it's thanks to the light of many that you move forward._ "

Slowly his left hand went to his heart, holding the light in it while his right hand summoned his incomplete Keyblade, "They're really something…" he said with a warm smile, shutting his eyes closely.

Not even a split second later, and her eyes snapped wide when the Darkness appeared. The tiny embodiment of everything foul of the heart ground her teeth, which had transformed into a rows of sharp shark-like fangs. Naruto could only stare as both Light and Darkness looked at each other, the blonde woman having an expression that, to his surprise, showed only concern.

The Darkness' features were twisted in nothing but pure and utter hatred towards the woman before her. Opposites, that's what they were, pure concern and care facing hatred and disgust.

"He's mine!" the Darkness roared, wind kicking around her and lifting her hair as she showed off her power with pitch black shadows swirling around her body.

Naruto was surprised when the Light winced, as if those words hurt her, " _My child, I do not desire your ire, I want-_ "

"Shut up!" the small girl was really furious, her eyes were nothing but icy orbs as if just looking at the Light drained all of her dark joy, "He's to be my king, he's to be the one to show you what fools follow you, he's the one that will devour your precious light for me… All the times you've tried to have someone share their light with him, it failed! After all those times he tried to find his own light, he went after someone that tried to kill him! You're nothing but a joke, so I'll take him just like I took those that were cast into the shadows of your children!"

" _It is my fault, yes, but for those that try to find their light, even if it may be with your power, I want to help them. I am confined to this realm not by choice, just as you are to yours._ " The Light gained confidence in herself, and yet Naruto couldn't see anything but a mother worried sick for the child before her, " _So please, my little one, let us_ -"

"Save your words, wench!" the Darkness erupted, shooting dark pillars to try to impale the Light with… only for them to vanish when nearing the goddess-like woman.

" _Your kind still holds on to something good he just found. I am glad he met and befriended some of my champions, so please, let him choose his own happiness._ "

Enormous dark hands appeared behind the Darkness and punched a blue energy barrier, cracking it, and continuously punching it with each statement while the Light did her best to keep it up, "I've had enough with that high and mighty shtick of yours! All you've done is guide your cute little chosen ones to destroy those that were abandoned by you or couldn't find anything good in your oh so perfect world! I'll have him destroy your fallacies for all the wrongs you've made, and I'll have you watch him devour your heart! He'll be the perfect King of Darkness because-"

Acting was Naruto's strong suit, and he did so by stepping out of the barrier and clashing his Keyblade with one of the dark arms, his purple cloak flapping from the force but his feet remained firmly on the ground. The tiny girl gasped when seeing her smile right at her face confidently and, dare she say it, even charmingly. Not even the Light knew what to expect, Naruto was using his dark powers to strike the dark deity-like figure, and yet there was something in him, some aura around him… And then, it hit her! She remembered why he did what he did!

"All you two are doing is talk about how you want to fix things, so let me get something straight!" he gave another step forward smirking in a way that made the Darkness stare deeply, and cut through the dark arm, surprising the small girl and the woman, "If I'm going to be the King of Darkness or whatever, I'm not fighting for either of you! I'll be fighting to help the people that accepted me!"

Jumping up with his Keyblade held high, Naruto clashed his sword against a large dark limb the size of a tree trunk, making the small dark haired girl… smile, "Oh, how I want that tenacity to accept my love!"

He smirked right back, "Sorry, sweetie, but you'll have to call off the wedding." He then hooked a thumb to himself, "Because just now, I can still feel it." He grinned as a small light emanated from his chest, "And you're not taking away this feeling!"

He snickered in a rather foxy manner, confusing the Darkness, "What're you…?"

He waved at her, "You're here because I still hold on to something good even if I embraced my darkness, that I'm not going to just sink into her claws just like that… It can only mean that, even with all that hatred Hades tried to put into me, even if Dominator tries to get to my heart, I'm still me." he aimed his sword at the dark robed girl, "Which means I can certainly beat you!"

The Darkness giggled, her cheeks gaining a dark red tint, "How delightful… I accept the challenge… I can't wait to make your heart mine, even if I have to deal with you two at once!"

She practically sang before she watched her champion pulled back by a glowing aura around his body, "Wait, what're you doing?! Let me fight!" he yelled before he was flung away from the two.

Soon the Light stood before the girl, both embodiments of the two sides of the heart looking at each other like a furious child and a loving mother. " _I know I will not change your mind so easily, but you should know forcing his heart will break it. You were never patient, my child._ " She said with more strength in her voice, and pushed Naruto back, making him fly far away from both, " _Naruto… thank you, for still holding on to me._ " her voice arrived him as a whisper while the two deity-like females faced each other.

And his voice reached both, making them turn to see him smile, "Well! Thank you for taking a weight off me!"

The Darkness watched her king leave, and fury burned in her eyes as she turned to the Light!

 **I MAY BE IMPATIENT, BUT HE'LL BE MINE!**

 _I can't allow your desires to destroy his heart!_

 **HE'S THE ONE FIT TO BE MY KING!**

 _Even so, he can still choose his own path!_

 **HE DOESN'T NEED TO OBEY YOU LIKE THOSE FOOLS!**

Naruto woke up with a gasp to see Sora punched in the face by Dominator's right lava fist, skidding to a halt on his back until he stopped by his side to notice he was awake, "Uh… a little help?"

Dominator for her part smirked, " **How do you feel, Your Majesty? Notice any differences?** "

Naruto growled as he got up, "I just noticed your boss has a really short fuse." He grinned while dusting himself before dramatically pointing a finger at Dominator, "Now, let me just try to picture what your face really looks like! I want to imagine you're shocked, angry and unable to understand anything! Tell me if I'm right. C'mon, am I?!"

Dominator was indeed shocked and baffled at the fact he was still the same as ever, but anger came when he just so nonchalantly started to taunt her, " **So your heart has actual value after all… Too bad we don't need your body to be in a good condition to make you a king…** "

Sora groaned, "Did you really have to anger this guy?"

"If we're going to get our asses kicked, we better make the best out of it." The blond said, grinning wider, "Besides, I can't help it… After what this creep did to me, I just want to break that helmet with a punch. So come on, Sora, what say you?! You really don't want to let this pretentious dastard to get out without a single scratch, right?!"

Seeing his friend just bursting with enthusiasm had the brunet feel something inside him. Perhaps he was going crazy, but… he really wanted to land a hit regardless of the outcome, "As you wish, Your Highness!" both spiky haired boys laughed and raced forward.

Dominator snapped her fingers, " **Fine, plan B, B for Brutal Bloody Battle!** " her two arms morphed into large spiked maces, one of ice and the other made of lava.

Then the heavy weapons fell to the floor, connected to her limbs by ice and lava chains. With great finesse, she spun her weapon and charged at the two, swinging both maces at the same time to crush them simultaneously. And it was with a roar and all of his strength into one swing that Naruto brought his Keyblade on the ice mace and shattered it to pieces, but even that wasn't the most surprising thing: his Keyblade morphed! Upon making contact with her weapon, it grew in length and easily shattered the ice covering her entire arm!

Sora, seeing his opening in her shock and getting over his own surprise, slid around the masked girl with both hands holding his Keyblade. Kingdom Key shone with light, the boy's heart powering with the desire to stop evil. Seeing him try to flank her, Dominator tried to use her other mace to send him flying back, but failed! Sora ducked under the swing, took advantage that his knees were bent, and jumped up with the tip of his Keyblade barely missing the ground by an inch. Dominator could only groan at feeling the power of the light crash against her breastplate and send her staggering back!

Gritting her teeth and suppressing a growl, Dominator morphed her arms back into red hot glowing lava hands with sharp claws for fingers. Naruto closed his eyes and smirked cockily at the masked young woman as he waged a finger to taunt her further. Sora did his own taunt by spinning his Keyblade singlehandedly and aiming a finger at Dominator before closing his hand into a fist with a thumb out, which he aimed down.

"He's getting it!" Axel cheered from his seat, crumpling the empty popcorn container with a smirk, "At long last we're seeing him really tap into his potential."

His companion nodded, "He is really accepting who and what he is, but it seems some positive reinforcement gave him power over the darkness…"

Axel grinned, "Nothing that sappy, it's more like he was told there were no consequences… Either that, or he found a way to really go all out."

Dominator wasn't as happy, " **What the?! Every other King of Darkness only reached that kind of level when blinded by hatred, just what are you?!** "

"Oh, I'm mad." Naruto retorted with a grin.

"Mad to beat you!" Sora quipped with a similar smile.

Silently blowing her bangs off her face under her mask, Dominator's arms turned into large clawed gauntlets with three-foot-long blades each. Holding their weapons in both hands, the two youths watched Dominator launch herself at them with the ice claws cutting through air. Naruto used the advantage of his sword's length to stop both claws dead in their tracks, which gave Sora enough room to jump over his friend, flip in the air, and shatter the ice weapons. Growing impatient by the second, Dominator didn't step back, she punched Sora in the face with such force he was sent flying back.

Unable to, even if he wanted to, call his friend, Naruto turned around and couldn't get a word out when Dominator's other hand grabbed him by the throat and slammed the back of his head on the ground. She dragged his face through the floor, getting some bruises and cuts on his face, and lifted him in the air with her other hand ready to pierce his heart again. Her grip was strong enough to cut the wind to his lungs, so when she tightened it more he couldn't hold his sword much longer, which fell to the ground.

His vision was getting blurry, so, using his survival instincts to the fullest, Naruto brought up his right foot to kick Dominator's helmet while she tried to once again to literally get a grip of his heart like before. The kick managed to shock and knock her back, getting her to step back and let go of him. The blond fell unceremoniously on the ground and quickly gripped his fallen blade while taking long, deep intakes of oxygen. His relief was rather short-lived for Dominator didn't waste a second to rush at him, both hands turning into fiery circular blades to slice and dice him.

Not one to sit down, Sora appeared to block one of the blades, dodge the other, and slam his body against the larger figure's. Due to the collision, the two stopped dead in their tracks before Sora was shoved back from the clash, with Dominator stumbling back. The brown haired Keyblade wielder gave his blond fellow a side-glance and a smile, which Naruto returned as both leaned on each other to get up, swords up.

"Don't worry, be happy, right?" Sora commented.

"Pretty much." Naruto retorted before getting serious, "It's already working, this creep's so angry it's getting easier to try to break that stupid helmet."

"So we just keep at it with a smile, got it." Sora then cupped a hand near his mouth, "Do your worst!"

" **This is what I get for playing with dorks…** " Dominator grumbled as the two Keyblade wielders were getting ready for her next attack, seeing darkness swirl around her gloved hands, " **Playtime's over!** " screaming with primal rage, she threw torrents of hot lava on the ground, heating it up to the intense level that made fire appear over the solid floor. Both boys could only watch the lava move around them, creating a small island in the middle of the lava pool.

"Huh, she copied my moves." Axel said half-amused, half-insulted. "I feel like I should sue her."

"What would you get? Ice cream?" his friend retorted dryly.

" **Alright, it's either me or the lava, Your Majesty. Your choice.** " Dominator exclaimed, moving up her hands to make a large tidal wave rise before our heroes.

"Any other ideas?" Sora asked his friend.

Naruto started to sweat, "Just one, but I don't know if it'll work. I've been trying to summon a Dark Corridor to get us out of this barrier but it's no use. However…"

"I see." Sora nodded to his friend in understanding, "Ready when you are."

The blond dark warrior nodded before pointing his Keyblade at the Heartless girl, "I'm taking option three, taking you down!" he shouted before jumping forward with Sora close behind before a dark portal opened before them. Dominator gasped and turned around to try to find them… only to see a portal open beneath her feet! Just like when he fought Neji, Naruto jumped out of the hole and delivered a solid upper-cut. Sora was right behind him, ramming his sword on Dominator's midsection before blasting her back with an ice spell.

Both were relieved to see the lava disappear upon their landing as Dominator fell hard on her back, growling, " **You two are just full of surprises, aren't you?!** " she snapped, finally tired of playing nice, and yes, turning the floor into lava and threatening to incinerate the two warriors was her being nice, " **I've had it with that spiky haired light runt!** "

Without another word she was right in front of both, backhanding Naruto before he could even react with such speed and strength he barely had time to at least lift his sword. Seeing the blond crash into the barrier and fall face down, Sora tried to reach his friend only to be grabbed by Dominator, whose hand gripped his throat. This time, a large ice blade appeared on her free hand, and she had it aimed right at Sora's chest.

There was no questioning it, she was livid.

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy's cry of horror echoed through the arena while everyone didn't know what to think.

They could tell the masked Heartless had plans for Naruto, she said so herself, but Sora didn't matter to her. In the entire fight the only one that had been in real danger was Sora, he was a mere obstacle Dominator played with until she had enough. If the light warrior was going to keep interfering and helping pour salt into the wounds on her pride, she was going to get rid of him permanently.

However, her desire to destroy was eclipsed by someone, Naruto's desire to protect Sora, even while apart, burnt deeply in his heart, "Protect… Protect Sora!" he yelled, his left hand towards him, darkness burning.

It was as if time had stopped when a dark, black blob jumped out of Naruto's palm and landed before Dominator, surprising her enough to stop her from turning Sora into a popsicle. The brunet actually blinked several times in surprise at the odd… thing before him and the masked Heartless. For his part, Naruto's mouth hung low at what he had just done, and all of his friends had to try hard to process what they saw.

Standing barely above knee level was a Shadow Heartless. But, as said before, it was smaller than a normal one, about half their size. Differences didn't stop there, while it had the rabbit-like feet, round head, and beady eyes, its antennae were pulled backwards, making them look like rabbit ears. Its tiny, scrawny arms had no claws, they ended in round fingers quite capable of gripping something. In short, it was…

"So…" Alice started, eyes glazed, "It is so…"

Jasmine nodded, dumbfounded, "I can't believe… how… it can be so…"

Terra held her cheeks with wide eyes, and everyone had the same reaction: "It's too cute!" they shouted in unison, Connie and Steven in disbelief though they couldn't help but marvel at the little creature's cuteness.

Dominator for her part let go of Sora, bent her body backwards with a hand on her gut, and aimed a single finger at her fellow Heartless while she laughed out loud, " **What in the name of all things dark is that?! It's so tiny, so insignificant, it's like it's asking me to squish it under my foot! Ahahahahahahaa!** " Actual tears of laughter rolled down her cheeks.

Naruto could only stare at the little imp he summoned, which stared at him and then made a nice akin to a squeal and a mewling sound before rushing at him, rubbing its cheek on his shin and purring, "What the…?" his brain took a moment longer to process what he did, and when he did he slapped his face, "Oh come on, that creep of Jafar had an army and all I get is basically a pet?!"

His Heartless didn't hear, or didn't mind, what he said, it just kept purring against his leg while Sora stared blankly, "This was… kind of disappointing…"

Once she gained control over her laughter, Dominator took a deep breath, " **Whew, I needed a good laugh. Ok then, time to put this runt out of its misery.** " She walked over to the small Heartless, raised an arm which she turned into a gigantic ice mace, and swung it down… just for things to get even weirder then the little critter let go of its summoner, sunk its hands into its own shadow, and jumped up.

To make Naruto's day one of the weirdest in his life, his current summon had managed to pull out a large broadsword from the floor. It was a straight, double-edged blade with the handle, handguard and even the blade itself made of pitch black darkness. Dominator paused her attack when seeing her little sibling rest on the handle, with the tip on the floor like it were a pogo stick.

Her surprise only grew when the small Heartless effortlessly lifted the blade, cut through the air, and sliced her ice mace cleanly in half! Gasping in shock, Dominator wiggled her fingers to see them still attached to her hand before turning to the small dark creature before her. Its sword was back on the ground like a pogo stick, only that the small Heartless was busy using one of its feet to scratch its head.

Steven summed up things nicely for everyone: "Ok, we forgot to never judge a book by its cover."

Naruto watched his new… he didn't know what to call it. He gave the creature life, albeit unknowingly, but it did its job to protect Sora like he wanted to, and it didn't seem to want to hurt the brunet or eat hearts. His mind raced with a million questions while all he could do was stare at it. It stared back with its beady eyes shining in a way that reminded him of how his sensei's visible eye gave away his smiles.

Dominator nodded to herself, " **I see, so this is the potential my queen wants from you… the power to be creative and move forward, to evolve…** " then she smirked as she turned her arms into large ice blades, " **I always grew tired of slaying a dozen weaklings when proving who's the strongest Heartless! Let's see what your baby can do against me, Your Highness!** "

She rushed at the small creature, which jumped once again and swung its large broadsword, clashing against the ice and cracking it. The display of the smaller Heartless' strength only made Dominator green wider before her arms turned into big lava fists. She rushed the small Heartless while it was still midair to try and punch it down, only to be amazed yet again. While still airborne, the small creature managed to twirl the sword at such insane speeds it propelled it away from Dominator's reach. It came to a stop when stabbing the tip on the ground, skidding to a halt which left a mark on the floor.

It stopped right next to its awed beyond words summoner, who after a few seconds to process what he saw chuckled and petted its head, getting delighted purring from it, "You're amazing! I'm going to have to call you something cool." He put a hand on his chin while his little summon gave out delighted squeaking sounds at the concept.

"Sora Jr.?" the brunet asked, standing beside his friend.

The little Heartless made an odd noise while puffing its cheeks, like a rabbit.

"Maybe it wants me to name it?" Naruto guessed, "Kage?" he guessed the Japanese word for shadow would work.

He was wrong, as proven by it puffing its cheeks again at the name.

Dominator ventured a guess, " **Runt?** " she said mockingly.

The small Heartless turned to glare at her, puffing its cheeks again and making that odd angry-rabbit sound.

Naruto hummed, "Well, you're definitely not like the other Shadows…" then he turned to Sora and had a small and odd idea, "I know, I'll name you Shada!"

"What?" Sora asked with arched eyebrows.

"She protected you and she's a Shadow, so I'm kind of mixing your names… Does that work?" he rubbed the back of his head, hopping for any form of positive reinforcement.

His friend was quick to shatter his hopes, "Don't quit your day job."

"Oh come on, it's better than naming her fully after you!" the blond argued before turning to the sword wielding imp, "What do you say? Do you like that name?"

The Heartless tilted its head to the side before, much to their surprise, letting out a pleased squeal and nodding, " **Oh, how sickeningly sweet!** " Dominator taunted, ready for battle, " **I'll just have to-** "

A loud crash echoed through the entire coliseum as a new figure walked in, interrupting Dominator. Naruto immediately recognized him, and so did Sora. It was the same man clan in a gladiator outfit, and he had singlehandedly broken the dark barrier. He didn't look winded or anything, like just shattering it was no problem. For some reason, Naruto could see the charmingly smiling man and Tsunade arm-wrestling.

Dominator stepped back, a rumbling in her throat signaling she didn't like the golden aura surrounding the man. For its part, Shada stood away from the man, feeling something… off about that aura. Even Naruto couldn't quite put his finger on it, but just being near that light made him feel threatened. Was it the light it emanated or something more ominous not from the man, but deep inside of him?

"Sorry, real heroes should never be late." He said calmly, pulling out a short sword and aiming it at Dominator, "You've given these two enough trouble already, so you decide, do you want to fight all of us?"

Dominator let out an annoyed tsk, " **As tempting as it is… I think I'll let yourself be, Your Highness.** " She cackled, " **Actually, I should let you get in danger like this more often. I want to see how many people stand by your side, how many can love you and show they do care for you… It'd be a picture perfect moment when you lose them.** "

Just like with his taunting, hers got to him, "Next time we meet, you'll regret those words." He had been more in touch with his anger, thanks to Hades and his training, and it showed. But the way he said that surprised her, it didn't feel like he was threatening her life, more like he just wanted to prove her wrong.

She just smirked under her helmet, " **Oh, charming.** " While her distorted voice made her words sound sarcastic, she actually purred them behind her mask with a mocking tone.

And with a swift step into a Dark Corridor, she was gone.

 **HE IS SLOWLY BECOMING MY PERFECT KING!**

 _I would like to differ_

 **YOU ONLY HELPED HIM WHEN YOU HAD TO!**

 _I know… I've made mistakes_

 **HE DOESN'T NEED YOUR PITY!**

 _He's one of my children!_

 **HE'S THE ONE YOUR CHILDREN ABANDONED!**

 _I'll make up for that mistake now that I can reach him!_

"You two were A-MA-ZING! The way you fought together, covered each other up and kicked bad guy armored butt was incredible!"

Back in the halls, our heroes had reunited after the tournament was cancelled. Sora chuckled at Steven's enthusiasm, feeling somewhat confused at finding someone even more hyper than he was, "It's more like we stopped taking it seriously… I'm surprised it worked." He then turned to see Naruto who had his back turned to the others while slashing at the air with his Keyblade.

Alice's voice made his head jerk towards her, "He hasn't talked much of what happened. I was afraid of when that Dominator stabbed him in the chest but… he seems so much calmer."

They turned to see Naruto seated with his legs crossed, staring at the newly named Shada which was busy nibbling his gloved fingers without really hurting him. He didn't even mind the small creature of pure darkness biting his hand, it was like a cub playing. There was a calm smile on his face as he treated the dark critter like a pet, rubbing its tiny head and letting it move all around him with pleased squeaking.

"I… must pet…" Terra said in a daze until she was snapped out of her thoughts of hugging the first ever inoffensive Heartless by someone's voice.

"He seems to have noticed it." Leon told the group, "Summoning a Heartless is a clear sign that someone has given in fully to the darkness, and yet his is just…"

"Absolutely adorable?" Yuffie contributed with a smirk, "Just look at the little guy and try and tell me it's some ominous sign or whatever."

"You must know that couldn't just be a joke, right?" the scarred man rhetorically asked the heroes, "Now, I know Naruto's not the brightest tool in the shed, but even he must at least realize what this means. The closer he steps towards the darkness, the easier it could be for him to lose sight of the light."

"Nothing to worry about, then, we'll keep sharing ours like we have." Alice said confidently, showing her Keyblade, "He did give us quite a scare, but he still clings close to us."

"And that's issue number two." Leon started firmly, "Do not, by any means, let him out of your sights or let him down. It'd be bad enough if he were on his own, but if he thought he lost any of you, it'd be worse."

Jasmine narrowed her eyes as she nodded to try to show her determination, "We're not abandoning him in any way or form, that's for certain."

"You and many of us have heard what that Heartless said." Leon continued, "You won't be safe around him either way, just know that."

"What're you trying to get to?" Connie asked cautiously, "Because the way you're putting it, it's like you want us away from him, not close like you said first."

Leon put a hand to his face to try to gather his thoughts, thankfully Yuffie spoke first, "Try to balance it, ok? I've met a guy who has his issues with his own darkness. He does need his space to settle things, and he has to do it on his own, but we can't let him alone just like that. Guys like him and Whiskers over there need their time to think about their life, and it doesn't hurt to have friends who can cheer them up."

"He made a new Heartless out of the blue without even trying." Leon exclaimed, "It isn't as easy as you say. Listen, just be on your toes at all times. Who knows when will he accidentally make one that won't listen. For now, just keep in mind he's becoming one with the darkness at an incredible pace. If he keeps rushing like this and slips, you have to be prepared."

"That's an if, not a when!" Steven argued, trying to stare the man down only for the narrowed look Leon gave him to cause the boy to yelp and step back.

"Leon!" Yuffie scolded him before groaning, a hand to her forehead, "Let's be real, guys, things will be a pain and you've barely had a taste. Dominator is a Heartless that has been around for some time, and that creep was just playing with you guys the whole time."

Sora just lifted Kingdom Key, "I kind of figured I'd have to fight guys like that after meeting a hunter in a world. With the Keyblade there's no turning back, even less when I still have to get Kairi back." He then turned to his anthropomorphic friends, "Besides, you know how it goes: all for one, and one for all."

Naruto for his part chuckled as he held a finger over Shada's opened maw, pretending he didn't listen to Leon, "Killjoy, would it kill him to smile?" he asked while the small imp bit on his finger and dangled in the air, kicking it with its stubby legs and making its king laugh, "You're a sign I'm closer to your Mama, so what?" he smiled warmly at it, "If anything, I'm glad you protected Sora. It means I can make good Heartless."

It purred at the sound of its king's kind words and praise while still holding on to his finger.

 **OUR FIRST DAUGHTER TOGETHER…**

 _Naruto, Sora, be strong, my children…_

 **XXXXXX**

And that's my rap!

So, many of you told me to make an embodiment of the light, and at first I disliked the idea but then… it really grew on me. So here's the Light, trapped in a realm of her own just like the Darkness. They can't affect the other worlds, but the Darkness just ignored the rules, picked a champion that tasted the ultimate despair, and the Light can barely reach him due to how strongly he clings to his good side.

And, as Leon said, Naruto's getting deeper and deeper into Darkness' playful hands while still holding on to Light's greatest act of kindness in the form of his friends. However, it's not easy to say what works best with these two. They're confined to their own realms for a reason, if they mess something up… well, having a perfect King of Darkness has been a process of trial and error, with a lot of the latter.

Oh, Shada being a girl comes from the Darkness wanting a princess of sorts. More than a king she wants someone to play dad with her and give her many, many daughters… Ok, that sounded wrong.

Swordslinger out!


	14. Your best friend!

I OWN NOTHING

I'm glad to see you all enjoyed the previous chapter, so let's keep going!

 **XXXXXX**

Your best friend!

 **DO NOT TOUCH HIM!**

 _His heart still longs for others' light_

 **NO MORE WILL YOUR LIGHT BETRAY HIM!**

 _I do not deserve mercy for my mistakes, but he deserves joy_

 **I AM ALL HE NEEDS!**

Kaguya Ootsutsuki liked to think of herself as a woman who could keep things in control. She had controlled the Uchiha clan with mere suggestions. Madara betrayed his friends, family and who knows how many else just because he was hinted that it could make him have what he never got. Sasuke was willingly murdering people under Orochimaru's tutelage because he got a taste of the darkness. Obito was self-explanatory.

And yet, not once, not ever would she have ever predicted someone like Naruto making a brand new – and, dare she admit it, adorable – Heartless even after she had Riku convince him to accept his darkness. Speak of the devil, the albino could be seen at a courtyard practicing and killing Heartless to properly serve his new king, the king Kaguya desired. She was not alone on that wish, as her dear fellow horned friend appeared.

"Our king keeps on giving us more surprises, my dear Kaguya." The green skinned woman smiled at the sight of the albino cutting through for Soldiers in one swing, "Surely, getting him to destroy the Light will be a difficult task, but I am enjoying this challenge."

Kaguya smiled slyly, "Why, keep talking like that and I may get jealous. I've been captivated by him ever since he escaped me when I sunk his heart as deep into the Darkness' embrace as I could. And even then, he didn't succumb to it even with all my power. Dangerous as it was, he proved to be fit to become the True King of Darkness."

"You're like a young girl who likes teasing her crush…" Maleficent said with a brief laugh, "However, that charisma of his is what allowed this boy to swear loyalty to him, to be his knight. Under the right hands, he'd be able to bring all worlds down under his heel. Just the thought makes me feel like my old self."

The two giggled before Kaguya had to ask, "What world will he visit next? I do hope it's one we can play with one of our allies."

Maleficent nodded, "Do trust me, it shall be fun to see him fight, especially if our king wins. The greed in that world should give him a big boost in power."

Off to the side, a pair of glowing green eyes narrowed in delight, while Mirage hummed in her throne room with a wicked grin, "Keep nurturing my future son, ladies." She held her claws up, holding a red crystal from which she could see Jasmine standing close to Naruto, "I shall make sure he grows big and strong to play with me."

All three women could see it, as did the Darkness in her own realm, "Foolish girls… He shall be…" with a wave of her hand, an image appeared, "…perfect…"

In a curtain black matter, Naruto appeared not the way he was, but different. Gone was his shirt, showing the Heartless symbol fused with his own skin like a tattoo. His cloak was gone, hanging off the side while he sat on a throne made out of pure Heartless, all the creatures put together to serve him. Of course, the image was made by the small dark girl, so she was seated on his lap with a saucy smirk aimed at the Light. Said blonde woman was beaten and on her knees while the shirtless dark king caressed his queen's hair.

"Not a bad picture," Dominator said off to the side, her armor back to fit her body, as in turning back into a t-shirt and skirt, "but to tell me, what shall we do now that I got a new kind of sister?"

The Darkness giggled, holding out her hand to caress the nearing Dominator's cheek, "Don't be jealous, my first child. I'm intrigued about your sister, Shada, as a mother should. Why, should I not be concerned for how your new king and sister are doing or how close they will be to us? Fufufu… I can't wait to make many, many more daughters with him. Can you imagine how much… fun it'd be to have them following you to beat the Light?"

Dominator thought on it, and a smirk was formed on her green lips, "New playmates, huh? You know I'll have to rough up the runts, right? Can't have your new king making weaklings? There's plenty of fools who do that already by sinking into whatever negative pit they choose to live in."

The Darkness nodded, her smile warming up, and she cupped a reddening cheek with a hand, "I want to see what our new daughter will be like. Perhaps a powerful magician to help you deal with those pesky old fools that rely on spells. Or perhaps a proper general to help you bring order with the others. But do keep in mind, as your new king Naruto will eventually surpass you…" here her smile turned sad as she stared at the green Heartless' red eyes, "Loneliness, that's what you were born from, and that's what I don't want to experience losing you, my first child."

Dominator snorted, "Puh-lease, like I didn't notice?" she held the small girl's hand on hers, smirking confidently to reassure her, "He may as well give me one damn good fight if he thinks he can take me, and if it's my darkness that'd needed to make him your perfect king, so be it." She smirked wider, "I'll make sure he becomes the man you deserve, and I'll live inside as a part of his darkness, making him truly yours."

The Darkness giggled, "This is why I cherish you, my first. But, if you can, make sure to get me something of his… something for those long nights in which I need… entertainment."

And as our hero and his friends pondered what to do, said whiskered blond felt a chill run down his spine, "Ugh, I feel like someone's watching me… in very wrong ways."

"Imagination." Stitch said, poking his head with a claw, "No smell of baddies."

"Wow, you're like Dogcopter but much more combat ready." Connie told the blue alien, patting its head.

"Dog… copter?" Terra asked, "Is that some creature or a beast you've tamed?"

Steven waved a hand dismissively, "It's no big deal, just one of the most awesome things out there ever to be awesome." His eyes then shone while his smile grew to a new width, "It's this dog that has helicopter blades on its back, can fly, fight evil aliens, and shoots missiles out of his butt! And he saves the world!"

Naruto nodded slowly, looking as puzzled as the others at what Steven said, though Connie, and surprisingly Stitch, seemed to share in his joy, "Ok, just do me a favor, do the talking when we get to your world." He blushed, "Seeing how my luck has been, I think it's…" he cringed, "…best if I mess with other… words… as little…"

Before anyone could ask what was happening, they saw a bulge appear on one side of his shirt, move up, and reveal itself as Shada, which head was poking out of the neck hole and snuggling on its creator's chin. He sighed, not sure what to do with a Heartless… not that he'd know what to do with one even if it were good-natured like Shada seemed to be. But the little Shadow was very affectionate towards him. Terra for her part had to hold herself back. Her eyes were sparkling slightly while she stared at the small dark being, her hands trembling with a burning desire to pet its tiny head.

"As little as possible." Phil finished for him, looking at everyone right in the eye before shifting his gaze downwards, "About what I said… I still have to stand for many of the things I told you guys. But keep in mind, you showed me that if someone has a chance to not sink into darkness, it may as well be you guys." He looked at the blond, "No one has ever summoned a Heartless to protect someone, or have anything like that little critter in your fancy coat. You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

The blond smirked, "Sounds like you're trying to say something else." He put his hands behind his head, widening his smirk, "I'll wait for it."

Phil snorted, "Hah, show me you can make me fully eat my words, and I'll treat you to anything you want to eat, a feast worthy of the gods here."

"Deal!" Naruto cheered, more excited about the food but, deep down, he was grinning as did Phil at having put their differences aside like that, even if they were too proud to give the other an inch.

"Good, I'll be waiting for you to prove me wrong, then." The satyr said before walking away, waving them off. "Don't forget to keep getting stronger, tournaments here will get really tough, kiddoes."

Alice was surprised, "That was oddly nice of him."

Naruto nodded, putting a hand over Shada's head, petting her, "Everyone has light in them, somewhere, don't they? Only way to lose it is to give it up."

Steven walked close to him, "You're really confident."

"Isn't it obvious?" Naruto retorted, finally turning to his friends and patting his chest with a gloved hand, "Even some elite Heartless can't affect me anymore. There's still light inside me and I'll never let it go…"

"Was there any doubt?" Sora asked rhetorically, approaching them with Donald and Goofy, "Why would you even worry if we got your hide?"

The blond Uzumaki breathed deeply, "I knew you guys cared and… that made me worried. Like, what if you guys were… saying what you said just to make me feel better and didn't really see the problem?"

"You can't be serious." Sora said with a horrified face, "Come on, it's not a good joke. You know we mean what we say."

Naruto's expression turned solemn, "It's just… I once tried too hard to believe in someone… I told you when I met you, Sora." He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, "Yes, it is Sasuke. He came from a prestigious family, he had everyone in the village worshipping him for being a born elite, and I wanted to be like him so badly… In a tournament, I even stalled the referee so he could join in because I really wanted to have him accept me as someone worthy of fighting him. But you know how the story goes, he went rogue for power, even if I followed him to change his mind, and I ended up with a hole in my chest."

Sora nodded, though his hands were tightened into fists, "Some friend he turned out to…" he looked at Naruto and then at the others, realization on his face as well as everyone else's, "You can't possibly…"

Jasmine was outraged, "You can't be serious! You're the one that helped me when I could've lost my hand at a market and are still helping me try to break free of this genie curse!"

Connie and Stitch were as shocked, they didn't know much of the story but they could figure that things were serious… Serious enough for Terra to approach Naruto and, in front of everyone, slap him!

"Ow! What the…" he got out, holding a red cheek before noticing Terra was as shocked as him.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to… No, wait, I meant to!" she tried to put on a brave face, but it failed when she tried to glare with puffed cheeks and a blush, "That… what you said… You think you're like him?! Really?!"

"But what if I really am doing the same as him?" he retorted while rubbing his cheek, surprised at how much of a punch Terra packed, "I may not act like him, and yet I need to use this power and I'm still trying to get more. Isn't it normal I worry that I may lose it? What if I am not good enough to keep you guys safe? It was easy for me to sink into darkness and hatred when I tried to save others, so-"

"That's the difference, you care!" Terra shouted, making Sora wince as for some reason he remembered a time when Kairi scolded him. He didn't know why she was so mad, he just tried to get her a coconut when they were ten by climbing a tree and got it for her, but apparently he made her worry too much when he fell down. He got her the coconut, wasn't that what mattered?

"And don't you dare say we're saying this because we want to make you feel better or something that foolish." Alice said sternly, and it worked as her accent and a finger aimed at his face made him step back, "In all honesty, you can give us a hundred reasons of why you're not a good friend, but we'd do the effort to find thousands of why we want to be with you. That's what friends are for."

Steven nodded, "Take it from me…" he looked at Connie, extending a hand which the sword wielding girl took as they smiled at him, "Take it from us… I once thought it'd be best to leave my friends in the dark, to just try to avoid getting them to worry, but… do you really want to be alone without them?"

The genuinely caring stare he gave Naruto along the others made him step back, Stitch giving him a thumb up, "Ohana… Ohana means you're never alone… Everyone is ohana…"

Naruto choked a bit, smiling before looking away, "Damn, I really am an idiot, huh?"

"You're our favorite idiot." Sora said, wrapping an arm around his friend.

"Riku could say the same about you." Naruto said, swiping a thumb over his eyes as quickly as he could before anyone could notice.

"Hmm…" Goofy stared intently at the two male Keyblade users, "Say Donald, ol' buddy… Is it me or do Sora and Naruto remind you of someone?"

The duck hummed, arms crossed, "Actually, kinda… They're way more thickheaded, though."

"Gwarsh, a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"Pah, just telling the truth."

Once all was done in this world, Naruto and his friends gathered together, prepared already to move to the next realm. Opening up another Dark Corridor, Naruto and his friends gathered around each other until he transported them to the next destination he felt calling them… Naruto felt the Light's presence shrink slowly until it was fainter than ever, while the Darkness grew ever closer to him.

 **A WORLD OF DARKNESS!**

 _How ghastly… What a horrible realm! Is fear what makes this one run…?_

 **IT IS A WORLD WHERE HE CAN IMMERSE HIMSELF IN MY GLORY YOU BITCH!**

 _He will never give into you, I won't let another child of mine be lost to you…!_

 **JUST TRY AND STOP ME FROM CLAIMING MY RIGHTFUL BELOVED AND KING OF DARKNESS!**

 _Naruto my dear child… be safe… this world is a dark one indeed… Where your fears will be tested more than ever before…_

When they exited the Dark Corridor, they found themselves in a dark and very spooky graveyard. Ghosts rose up every so often and moaned faintly, their undying gaze focused on the small group who huddled together. Stitch's heckles raised as he snapped angrily at a few vampire bats that flew too close to their head. A wolf's howl echoed far off in the distance, making Naruto snap his head towards that howl and the direction where it came from, as it had a strange undercurrent of… nearly human hunger.

They looked up, and saw a rusty sign covered in dried red substance, and flecked with creepy moss with faint letters that were hard to make out, Naruto squinting his eyes like a foxes to read it properly, "Welcome to… Halloween Town, nice to scare you… Well, this world is called Halloween Town... And it's a creepy place, shall we blend in?"

He asked Terra as he had a feeling that If they walked around in this world of darkness as they currently were, they probably wouldn't last long amongst the locales. He may have worn an orange jumpsuit most of his ninja career, or rather all of his short ninja career, but he knew that he had to keep his friends safe. Standing out like a sore thumb would mean someone or something could harm them, and he'd feel better if they couldn't be caught as easily by someone like Jafar again.

The green head turned to the rest, while Alice winced, "Uh… perhaps we could choose how we'd look?"

"The spell is to make you resemble beings of this world, I really don't have much of a say on appearance." Terra retorted, about to raise her hand until Naruto stopped her.

"Well, if you want to be comfortable and look like you blend in…" he raised his left finger, where he had Jasmine's ring, and looked at the genie girl, "I guess you know what I'm going to wish for, so go ahead."

"Let's see how good genie magic is for a makeover." The princess of the desert said, snapping her fingers.

A blast of fiery magic energy later, and Naruto felt his head rather heavier. He and the others stared at each other, before he asked for something to solve their obvious need, "Jasmine, I wish for mirrors for us."

With another nod, a large series of mirrors set to be the exact size of everyone appeared before them. Naruto gasped at his reflection, on his forehead were two pitch black bone horns like Kaguya's, only, as said before, darker than night and with a shape similar to fox ears. Most notably, his skin was a deep purple like his cloak, while his sclera had turned black as well, highlighting the golden orbs he now bore. And his pants remained the same, and that was it, leaving him shirtless. His cloak had turned into a pair of black bat wings that were attached to his back, covering his body like a cape with purple arms, while his hands and feet ended in sharp claws fit for gargoyles.

Steven cried out next, his hands gently rubbing his face in surprise. "Whoa! I'm green! And buff! And… weirdly in the mood for a rack of ribs."

He had turned a pure green, his entire body bristling with black course hair that gave him a weirdly barbarian like appearance. His body had become older in appearance, and had far more muscle packed on now, giving him a look that was akin to a mid-teenager rather than a young one. His arms were thickly corded with muscle, and he had lost his shirt and pants, replacing by a furry pelt of a cat, a mountain lion to be specific covering his chest and a furred kilt combined with armored boots. His shield had become a massive great shield slung over his back, and he had gained sharp tusks that jutted out of his thick set face. With a topknot of black hair, and a pig like nose, he appeared practically feral.

Connie spoke up next, "Well this is new, wait, why is my body so big…why am I looking up at it from the ground? OH MY GOSH I'M JUST A HEAD!" she started looking confused as suddenly she looked up at her armor clad body.

Realization sat in as her headless body panicked until it picked her up then held her head underneath its arm. Looking back at the mirror, she cringed slightly, her skin had turned from its normal lovely creamy brown and had turned a pitch black, her eyes glowing pure blood with a bloody stump in place of her neck. Her hair was now a long mane that extended to the ground. As for her body, like Steven it had aged up a bit, and was covered head to toe in dark colored armor, spiked pauldrons and kneepads, a broad sword sheathed at her side, and a long cape that bore an owls skull over a full moon.

"Oh my goodness…!" Alice gasped as she was next to see herself in the mirror.

Her dress had been stained with blood splotches all over its surface while Lady Luck itself had gained a partner, a vicious looking ornate knife that was belted to her hip. Her hair had turned a dark brown and gained a glossy luster, while her blue eyes had become faded in tone and color, making them appear almost pupil-less. Her arms were clad in long gloves that went up to her shoulders, rings of skulls and bloody rabbits paws chained to them. Her ears had somehow been pierced and now had card shaped earrings, while her skin itself had become so pale she appeared like a ghost, which combined with the stitching over her face made it clear she was a corpse that moved.

"EEP! I'm… I'm!... Still me…. ah…" Terra shrieked in horror until she calmed down after a brief bit of pure terror mixed with worry, her expression one of a strange feral nature once it settled down.

Her entire body was a bright purple, white and pink mixed in as well. Her body was completely bare, but strangely had no indication of her privates beyond her female frame. Her entire body was covered in a dense pink fur, almost like hair and skin mixed. Her hands and feet had gained utterly vicious claws and were shaped like a beast's paws, covered in a darker shade of blue fur with yellow for the claws. Her hair had taken on an extraordinarily wild form and shape, flowing as if a cloud itself was her mane, said hair extended far behind her back. Her face was what changed the most, she had gained ruby red lips and a mouthful of extremely sharp fangs, while her eyes had turned pure yellow, her nose had even become beast like. Thankfully intelligence shone in her gaze, and she hesitantly touched her cheeks, her gaze one of wonder.

"Yut lu eyn tamba! Stitch not change much…" Stitch had arguably changed the least, his blue fur had turned a greyish shade and his ears had gained fluffy ends, while his claws were out minus the extra arms.

He had even lost his antennae, he had however become much more rotund, and his legs had curved backwards making them appear almost like spring loaded legs. He had also increased in size, standing roughly at Steven's height as a child. His eyes however had turned a piercing red and his face had gained an odd scaly look to its muzzle, to complete his look his fur had become far more wild and poofy, making him appear almost rabid. And he had rather sharper fangs poking out of his mouth. He looked like a demonic drop-bear.

"Oh… Oh no! Why did it have to be a snake?!" Jasmine cried in horror when seeing her own reflection, having changed in ways that truly terrified her beyond belief, or rather made her feel sick with disgust.

Her entire body, like Terra's, was fully exposed to the air, showing her every inch of skin, and yet not at the same time. Every inch of her form was covered in black and red scales, and her legs had merged into a long reptilian tail. Her lower body was that of a snake's, while the upper half was a woman's torso. A yellow underside adorned her new body and showed her very feminine shape, but no sign of her more intimate parts. Claws were at the end of her hands, looking quite capable of ripping someone apart, while Terra's sword still hung on her hip with a belt. Last but not least, her black mane of hair had been replaced with a cobra's majestic and intimidating hood, shadowing her scaly red face with deep, piercing amber eyes, and pitch black lips.

It took them all a few long moments to adjust to their new bodies, Naruto out of all of them showed the greatest joy in his new form as he leaped high into the air, his voice coming out an excited yell, "This… is... AWESOME! I need to test these wings out, right now! I've always wanted to fly, and most of all soar high above those who looked down on me back home! Now with these, I can! Let's take a test run!"

He leapt onto a tall gravestone that seemed to have been made for the grave of a giant, perched himself as best as he could, and jumped off in a mad attempt to fly. His wings carried him aloft for all of a moment, before a new purple reptilian tail flew out and hit him over his back. Discovering his new gargoyle tail made him tumble back down to the floor in a painful crash that had everyone wince in sympathetic pain.

Jasmine rubbed her serpentine face slowly, muttering half-heartedly, "He might need some time to get used to his wings… and a lot of healing spells to fix him up as he tries to pave the dirt with his face…"

 **AHAHAHAAHAHAHA!**

"Lord Dominator my dear, isn't he just delightfully amusing?" After a long round of laughter after seeing Naruto plow through the earth for the sixth time that hour, he Darkness swirled a wineglass full of liquidized hearts then drank it down.

Lord Dominator snickered as she watched Naruto smash into a gravestone, "Hehehehehe, yeah, he's a laugh riot! Want me to go to him and help him out?"

The Heartless saluted her queen and mistress who merely paused in the middle of having her cup be filled up by a clone of herself. She smiled nastily as she waved her hand, another portal opening up and showing off a massive city of stone and cement, high tech machines and cars whooshing past her view on the street… And winged beings flying high above the night sky.

"No, I don't think he requires your presence, but I have a very useful pawn who could be of some use in aiding him into becoming my king. One who is just as hate filled as his old friend, but a little more… agreeable to his personality if he manages to gain access to her heart…" The portal zoomed in on a red headed female creature, her glowing red eyes glaring pure hatred at a dark skinned woman in a red leather jacket, black shirt, and blue jeans from afar.

The creature in question was a gorgeous yet terrifying looking woman, with dark bluish skin, rags worn over her surprisingly mature body, barely hiding her feminine nature. Her head had a long mane of red hair that flowed like dark fire down her back, as well as a jeweled armlet over one arm. She turned around to stare at the portal before black tendrils shot forward, making her screech in fury as she was dragged through it and dropped her in front of the two dark girls. Darkness and Lord Dominator smiled, the latter had already turned into her "serious" mode.

The creature snapped up with a furious snarl until a blast of pure force pushed her back onto her knees, the Darkness standing up as her body turned into its true form, and not merely her human façade, " **Silence Demona. I have called upon you for a purpose. Do not forget who helped feed your dark powers and kept you from becoming a mere Heartless… Not to mention the one who freed you from your obligation to those pesky three sisters.** "

"Rgrhh… You always call upon me whenever you want something from me… Always as I'm about to enact revenge against those humans and the light they serve!" The gargoyle woman got up through sheer force of will, snarling as her eyes glowed red until they slowly faded into a more normal color, her fanged expression growing a little calmer as the Darkness went back to normal herself.

"We are, as always, in agreement, my child of darkness. You Gargoyles are betrayed by the Light, daybreak brings you only weakness and vulnerability, as that sow intended for you. My children of darkness… I weep for your sorrows, and I especially feel for you, my sweet daughter. So like me, hateful towards the light and all of its hypocritical creatures. But I have a proposition for you."

"A deal, you?" the redhead gargoyle asked, standing to her full height before the small dark entity with curiosity on her blue face, "I thought of you as the kind to crush anyone who didn't give you what you wanted."

"It is an offer even, to get revenge on the Light herself… Do you wish to hear it, my child?" Her question was phrased in such a manner that Demona could reject it if she so wished.

The Gargoyle woman was as predictable as Lord Dominator thought as she didn't take long before she answered the Darkness, "Tell me! Tell me so that I may rid all the worlds of these disgusting humans and destroy the light itself!" She never begged, but she did demand impatiently. Demona stepped forward with a harsh glare at the Darkness who merely smiled.

"The King of Darkness, my young daughter. One who the Light rejected and betrayed, abused and used as you were, and all because he was chosen by others to be their scapegoat. He is as human as I am, that is he merely looks like one of those furless apes until the day comes when his true form will awaken. Go to him and if you can, gain access to his heart and friendship. If you can corrupt him or befriend him, he will help you gain revenge on all of those who ever harmed you."

Waving her hand, the Darkness showed the woman of the night what she meant. Demona saw a brief glimpse of Naruto's past and why he had suffered playing through a portal that had Lord Dominator clench her gauntlet clad hands silently and the Darkness frown with a harsh glare. What they saw made the Gargoyle woman suck in a harsh breath while her teeth were born into a ferocious snarl, her eyes glowing red.

"The hypocrisy of the Light! He was but a child of dark, and he was treated like that by those who claim to be her children!?" Demona didn't care that he was human anymore, what she had seen through his eyes and past had convinced her that he was like her, a being of darkness.

Gargoyles were born of the Darkness but had for millennia lived in the twilight. She was one of the first to go back to her true roots, as a being of darkness who sought revenge on all the light and its denizens. Humans were just the most common example of creatures of the light. They took it for themselves and cast many in their shadows, denying them rest and branding them without giving them a chance.

Back with our heroes, Steven and Connie, who had her head under one of her arms, were trying to pull Naruto away from the graveyard, "Come on, guys, just one more try! I know I can fly!" he begged, spreading his wings only for them to fall over his head, "I… know I need to practice a lot to fly! Practice makes perfect, right?!"

"Your face will resemble my first attempt at a Together Breakfast if you keep it up!" Steven said firmly to try to scold his friend.

"Honestly, I sort of have to commend him for that determination." Terra whispered to the others, and also trying to help Jasmine move forward by holding one of her scaly hands.

"Maybe it should have been better if you did the spell, though." The princess said while she attempted to slither forward with some success, though one of her arms was gripped by Alice.

"It'd have been the same bizarre result, trust me." the blonde girl said while Stitch scouted ahead, "Every new world has different settings. I shudder to think what it'd be like to fit in the one Naruto met me at."

"Whatever it may be, I'm certain it'd be something with legs for me." Jasmine grumbled.

"If it's any consolation, you're quite a beautiful snake." Terra offered with a bashful smile.

The genie girl blushed, "It helps, slightly. I'm actually afraid I'm getting used to being literally cold-blooded right at the start. Though feeling naked…" Terra blushed, looking away from Jasmine's body, as did Alice. Both girls did know the desert princess was far more blessed than they were. While a little jealous, they had to admit she looked good. Bizarre as their new forms may be, they still had some odd beauty to them.

"Again!" Naruto's shout broke the atmosphere at his eleventh attempt at flying, soaring through the air… and immediately falling flat on his face before the princesses and Esper.

"Oh man… he… he really… doesn't stop…" Steven panted after trying to catch his blond friend.

"Is that word even a part… of his vocabulary…? Oh boy, I think I… need a breath…" Connie huffed while holding her own head with both hands, "This armor's… heavy…"

Grunting, Naruto got his face off the ground with some dirt sliding off, "Ok, I think I see the problem…" he said, spreading and closing his wings slowly, watching them twitch as he forced them to move to his will, "I just need a higher place to jump from!" and his words made his friends restrain themselves from groaning.

As usual, stubbornness was a part of the Uzumaki heritage no tragedy could take away from any of the clan's members, "We should go to check on Stitch and see what he has found." Alice said rationally, "I don't think we can change his mind about this idea of soaring through the air."

"Sounds good." Connie said after getting her breath back, "We can check on him to see if he's given up or is too tired to try."

They nodded and left, thinking their friend would be fine. Just as he was about to climb again, a shriveled head was knocked into his body, knocking him down like a bee hive from a tree.

He leapt up just as steaming, his eyes turning a glowing white out of bestial fury while a deep growl came from his body, "Alright… Who did that?!"

A fit of childish giggling made him leap into the air, his arm extended before he sent a blast of fire forward, darkness covering it and erupting into a pitch black fireball that blasted away a bush. It revealed three giggling children who suddenly didn't have much to laugh about as Naruto slammed down in front of them. His wings extended behind his back and made him appear demonic, not helped by the darkness covering him in an aura of pure fury.

"Um…! Barrel did it!" The three children wore costumes that were best described as being a devil, witch, and skeleton outfit.

As he towered above them, his fists covered in black fire wreaths, the witch and devil shoved the skeleton like boy in front of them. Even as the devil handed him a bat and a small pouch full of angrily muttering severing heads. Naruto's silent and furious visage didn't change even as he grabbed the two up by their costumes, lifting them high into the air, his tail wrapping around the skeleton. He slowly walked towards a large quite dead tree, if its faded wood was any example. With a violent kick he broke the entire tree in half, sending its rotten exterior flying out in an arc, until it crashed on the ground far away from them.

Next he extended his leg again, and with the powers of a Soldier, he kicked the stump repeatedly, so fast his feet sounded like a staccato of machine gun fire. Raising one foot up to pause for effect, he extended the three brats to look inside the hollowed out stump. He had turned it into a barrel which he promptly jammed all three of them inside, then ripped the entire thing up from the ground. Roots and all dangling below, and all three brats unable to get out and weakly struggling together while elbowing their bodies.

"You kids like games, right? Well, I love games too… This is a fun one, I'll kick you down this hill, and wherever you land will be where you can get out and run away from me, if I catch you again, this time I'll try throwing you off a cliff. This game is called Hide and don't come back!" With that, he kicked the barrel down the hill, making all three kids scream in terror as they whirled into the distance.

When they finally stopped rolling, it was because their makeshift barrel had smashed into a rock wall. Lock stumbled out first, panting weakly as his mask fell off, exposing his devil like true face, while his hair had fallen out of its devil horn like style. There was sweat pouring down his face as he exhaled in and out rapidly, his fear and panic dying down.

"O-okay… that was a really bad plan… that was a really, really bad plan… that guy is s-scary… He might be scarier than Mr. Oogie Boogie…"

Shock fell to her knees, tossing aside her own mask while her hair covered her face, her eyes wide and her hand gently wiping some sweat from her own face, "Scarier than Mr. Oogie Boogie? Ha… hate to agree. But he's terrifying… I've never seen such p-powerful darkness… Not even from Maleficent or Kaguya…"

Barrel didn't talk, he was too busy vomiting out of fear and his own dizziness, coughing weakly as his mask had been lost in the roll down there. He'd be looking forever and a day to get his mask back.

"And do, pray tell me. Who is this scary person?" The three children snapped up in fear as they looked up to see a female figure standing far above them, perched atop a cliff until she landed in front of them. Red eyes glowed in the dark and made their knees shake rapidly as the figure gave them a fanged smile.

"I'm curious, what would three innocent little… urchins, have done to upset this scary man?" Her words were silky, but their seeming kindness barely hid the sharp intentions underneath them. They were terrified of her not just because they could feel the powerful aura of darkness that erupted over her body, but because she resembled the one who had terrified them, even superficially.

"We… we were just playing a prank, we were knocking severed heads at people and laughing when they fell down from whatever they were doing… he didn't take it as well as the others did…" Lock slowly gulped as she walked towards them.

They observed her odd animal like talons gripping the dirt tightly while she crossed muscular arms underneath her sizable breasts, each of which were contained within a rag like top. Waving behind her was a thick muscular tail that jutted out from her loin cloth clad backside and seemed to ignite at the tip with a dark fireball of its own.

She leaned over them, her bat like wings wrapped around her body like a mantle until she spread it wide, her face exposed into a sharp toothed leer, "Oh? Why would that be you poor dears?"

Even more scared than before, Shock, the smartest of the trio, made an astute guess on why he scared them so much. "Because he's the future King?" She recognized how powerful he was with darkness, and the fact that he could've swallowed their hearts like he did with Jafar… She shivered in absolute terror now, they barely escaped that encounter alive.

"Give them a gold star… let me teach you little snots a lesson… You'll help me meet with him, or else I'm going to…" She leaned close and whispered something to Shock that made the girl shriek in terror, stumbling back and trying to crawl away from the terrifying woman above them.

"You w-wouldn't! You couldn't!" She whimpered until the woman slammed her clawed foot down near the girl's head.

"I'll do that and more… Unless you three obey my, every, word."

 _Even apart, you're still close to him_

"Talk about overkill, did you really have to go that far?"

Naruto turned to Steven, who had stayed behind to see that he behaved. The pudgy boy had his hands on his hips while Naruto answered, "Hey, I was a prankster myself, but I never put down anyone trying hard."

"Even so, you could've send them to their mommas without having to go all scary." The fluffy haired boy argued.

Naruto shrugged, "I think they'd have done something similar given the fact they were throwing… these at people." He picked one of the shriveled heads with his new clawed hand, sniffing it before shuddering, "Ugh, smells like Granny's medicine mixed with something only Orochimaru would make."

Steven cringed, sticking his tongue out in disgust, "Worlds are weird, but I never thought they could be like Sadie's horror movie collection."

"Guess there's a place for anything…" Naruto stated before dropping the head… watching as a certain small Heartless jumped out of it and chomped on the head, returned to his shadow, and made chewing noises.

Good thing Steven was green already, because he would've worried Naruto if his human skin could've showed how disgusted he was, "I'm not having beef jerky for some time."

"Shada, no, that was dirty!" the blond tried to scold his summon/pet/daughter but all he got were happy purring noises from his shadow while the small critter munched on the head gleefully, "What am I going to do with you?"

Controlling his gag reflect better, Steven spoke, "Why not train her?" Naruto turned around to face him as Shada nibbled on her tiny hands now. She was grooming her antennae after slicking them up with what counted as spit, rubbing her glossy eyes next before closing them. She snuggled against Naruto's shoulder and passed out quietly, cuddling against him more to get warmer.

"...Well I suppose we can try that." He commented aloud as Shada begun purring contentedly against his flesh while one wing wrapped around the adorable Heartless and held her close.

They looked ahead of them at the far off town where they hear the seconds of raucous laughter and a megaphone voice that ringed faintly. Soon reunited, the band of monsters in disguise walked into the town proper, seeing a gigantic amount of fellow monsters laughing and scaring each other. Zombies, a werewolf, a female fish woman, vampires, witches too. As Naruto walked forward, he stopped when a very slender skeleton leaped down in front of him, clad in a pitch black outfit the skeleton looked curiously at him while tilting his very slender body, a long bony finger tapping his mouth.

"You're new here, aren't you? Everyone! We have new arrivals! It's been so long since the last ones! New monsters who are here to scare people!" He said eagerly, as if them being new was something that he rarely got to see. Behind him Naruto spied a woman watching them with a faint smile, almost as if she was happy that Jack had met them.

She was a very attractive young woman, who seemed to have pale corpse skin that had numerous stitches over its surface, showing that she was sewn together from a multitude of parts. She was clad in a simple dress, her long red hair flowed down her back while her red lips creased into a smile as she walked forward and extended her hand for him to shake.

"Jack, dear, let them introduce themselves first. It's only been a little while since Sora and his friends came here to deal with the Heartless problem we have. My name is Sally, are you new arrivals friends of Sora too?" Naruto jumped at that, his demonic face gaining a massive grin that made Jack ooh and aah as he saw the collection of blood stained fangs in the teen's mouth.

"Sora's here too? Yeah! He's my best friend, of course we are his friends!"

"And I'd like to know how did you get yourself to have such terrifying grin!" Jack said, holding the gargoyle boy's hands much to the shock of everyone, "What's the secret to such an appearance, to have a smile that genuine and terrifying?!"

Naruto arched a brow and put his finger in his mouth, pulling it off and seeing the blood from his many crash landings, "Uh… trial and error."

"A lot of trial and error." Steven added before looking around, "So, you had trouble with the Heartless?"

"Why yes, but Sora did help us get them under control. Good fellow that one and his friends." Jack said, walking forward and motioning for the boys to follow him, "Of course, being the busy boy he is, he mentioned something about visiting another place while I work on a little project of mine."

The ragdoll woman stood still, "Jack, I still wonder if that is such a good idea."

"You must be kidding, Sally, I'm so close to controlling the Heartless for this Halloween!"

"You what?!" Naruto and Steven's shock was made known in unison.

Their cry was heard by Stitch, who in his scouting found a bizarre mount which had the tip curled inwardly. He had arrived and was sniffing around when he met a new friend. Their eyes met, their noses sniffed one another, and they tilted their heads to the side. Stitch's new friend was see-through, had a dog's head with a glowing orange nose, and a collar. Also, the rest of its body looked like a mantle flowing in the wind.

Bearing his teeth in a large, fanged smile, Stitch extended a claw, flexing it, "Hi…"

His new friend sniffed it and made a noise, "Bark!" it turned to the side and flew off, stopping a couple yards to look at Stitch, who followed after Zero, if the piece of metal on its collar had its name engraved on it.

It quickly became apparent to Terra, Connie, Alice, and Jasmine that Stitch had blithely wandered off on their watch. Having nothing better to do and wanting to explore the town while Steven and Naruto dealt with Jack's Heartless plan. From the distance they watched Naruto walking next to Sally as Jack excitedly told him and Steven of what he was planning for Halloween.

"Stitch! Stich!" With a long golden tether connecting Jasmine's tail to Naruto's ring, the snake woman called out into the darkness of the graveyard and pumpkin patch. Behind her Connie was holding her head into the air as blasts of light shot out from the eyes of a jack-o-lantern on top of her severed head and illuminate the area around them.

Graves were awash in a crimson red glow, which made Alice shiver despite being a monster herself, "I'm glad I'm with you three, this place is much scarier than Wonderland…" Alice shivered as she saw ghosts rise from the grave, Terra giving a gulp of her own when she saw an undead clown roll past them on a unicycle, chortling as he juggled a bunch of flaming skulls in his hands.

"This place is a world of darkness… It's clear that we're almost fully removed from the light itself, which doesn't explain the Heartless' presence. They don't usually invade worlds this far from the light unless brought here…" Terra murmured softly, her claws clenching tightly when she saw a vampire soar over her head, blood dripping from his fangs.

"Maybe there's like some hive around?" Connie ventured a guess, "I know I'm not an expert in the matter, but what if some world got turned into their playground and it's close?"

"With Maleficent and other people like Jafar around, I could see how that can happen." Jasmine thought out loud, "Darkness does spread easily, too easily…"

"No… You can't…" Alice started but Jasmine snapped to attention.

"I didn't mean Naruto, sorry! It's a thought Leon did put in our minds, I'll admit, but what he said does apply to several worlds and people. Can you picture how many could become a wanderer of the dark?"

"I do know of one…" Terra said, "He's a terrifying man, that's for sure. Think of a cruel child who takes pleasure in ripping a fly's wings. Darkness was already in him when I met him, but he embraced it so easily it was nothing short of… sickening to see him at times."

"Well, that's why people need heroes." Connie said with a smile, hefting her head on her shoulder and putting the lantern down with her free hand, "Sure, we're trainees, but many books I've read are about heroes who choose to help others. Tell me if there's any of us who doesn't want to help someone else, and I'll show you a liar."

"It is hard not to want to help another with the friends we have." The blonde commented, making the girls giggle before they looked at each other, a silence surrounding them.

Connie broke it, "So… you three like him? I mean no disrespect, of course, but the way you stood for him and wanted to help him. I'm… actually impressed. In most books I read, the girls or boys always fight among themselves, only ruining their chances."

Alice answered first, "I said this before to Terra, but I wouldn't wish to lose a cherished friend… even if I don't plan to lose."

The Esper steeled herself, "I'm not giving up either, and yet I do not have it in me to hate people like Jasmine or Alice…"

The desert princess nodded, "Same here. Really, fighting with them to get Naruto's attention would make things uneasy and he needs our help."

"And if that weren't the case?" Connie asked and immediately both her hands held her head by the mouth to clamp her lips shut.

She feared the worst… and it never came.

Alice answered, "You mean to fight among ourselves? I wouldn't dare even think about it. We may not know each other that well, but we've endured many things with each other…"

Terra spoke next, "There's so much waiting for us in the future, whatever it is, I'd like to trust them like I do now. And even after this is over, I wouldn't want to change this feeling."

Jasmine giggled, "We're getting really sentimental, and yet I understand you. All of you, along our mutual friend, have done much more than I in this journey. I'd never think ill of you."

Connie smiled, surprised and even moved at how mature the girls were about the topic.

Someone, however, had other thoughts…

"There they are!"

"Don't shout, idiot!"

"Ugh, boys… Just shut up, you two!"

Inside a walking bathtub, and that wasn't the most bizarre thing in the world, were Lock, Shock, and Barrel. The skeleton boy was pointing at the girls until the devil shoved him down, the witch rolling her eyes before making them focus. On their odd vehicle they had a large black bag with several objects moving inside. Each of them had their sights on the princesses, the Esper and the swordswoman.

All the while, Demona watched from the skies at the girls and their blond friend, "A proper king… I shall make sure he enjoys those girls' hearts."

 _My children, may your hearts give you strength against this one's sorrow and anger…_

Back at Traverse Town, Sora, Donald and Goofy were talking to a fairly old man with a blue robe, blue pointy hat that was ridiculously tall, and a beard just as long as he was tall.

"And that's about it, Merlin." The brunet said, "I mean, I heard Leon talking and all, but… I don't feel it."

The wizard adjusted a small pair of spectacles on his nose, "That Leon would distrust even his own mother. Worry not, boys. Many have tried to see what rests in a person's heart and still fail for they dare not see the possibilities. Your friend's path has more than just darkness, for only he knows what side he wants to take." With a wave of his hand, he showed his young friend an image that amazed him.

In a pitch black throne was Naruto, seated on it with his left foot on the seat, a laidback smile, and his incomplete Keyblade at his side, with his right hand resting on it like it was a cane. However, he was a grown and very handsome adult with a purple jacket similar in design to his cloak but being form-fitting and closed. His black pants were inside purple greaves, and on his head was a pitch black crown.

What was impressive was that he was surrounded by light and embracing it as well as the darkness. And close to him were some familiar faces.

"Is this real?" Donald asked in awe.

Merlin shook his head, "I can only see possibilities, and no one will be able to say for certain what will happen. But if you stand tall, who knows?" Sora smiled, for he and the others were shown an image of him and Naruto standing side to side as grown men, their backs turned. However, his smile fell when he saw large shadows wearing cloaks with red clouds, "But you, Sora, have to take care of him… just as he will watch your back. People say people are tied by the red string of fate, but you and him seem to be tied to something far greater…"

"Geesh… talk about pressure…" Sora said through gritted teeth, but narrowed his eyes at the shadows on the image, "Well, if Naruto's not giving up, then neither am I."

 **YOUR SPIRIT IS A JOKE! YOU'LL NEVER TAKE MY KING FROM ME, FOOLISH BOY!**

 **XXXXXX**

And that's my rap!

More new villains, Sora getting ready to face the Akatsuki, Naruto and co. about to deal with more of the Darkness' and Maleficent's plans, and Mirage watching everything with keen eyes. Am I forgetting anything? Oh yes, the girls agree they care too much about their friend (crush, really) to dare fight. Not that they'd give up the chance to try to be with him, but they aren't selfish enough to hurt a good friend for their desires.

As for Demona seeing Naruto as her own. He's a dark being to her rather than a human... And can you blame her? Also, yes, Shada will be cute.

Swordslinger out!


	15. Gambling empty-hearted

I OWN NOTHING

This chapter will prove what you all pretty much knows, women are scary when mad.

 **XXXXXX**

Gambling empty-hearted

 **MY KING IS SO CLOSE…**

 _Compassion, kindness, justice and truth guide him_

 **NOT LIKE YOU DID ANYTHING FOR HIM!**

 _This time he won't be alone, even if I must stand!_

 **YOU DARE TALK THAT WAY TO ME?!**

 _I'm not letting him lose his second chance!_

Iago was bored out of his mind. Caged, lonely, and with his only company being turned into a mindless puppet, he knew he had to do something. As a parrot of many resources after being with an evil sorcerer for years, he had his tricks. With a feather he plucked from his tail when no one was looking, a good memory to keep track of any presences that guarded him, and the luck of having an old, rusty lock, he was free.

Free to go out, but where? He pondered on it while flapping his wings around the large, dark castle that Maleficent and her allies used while avoiding every Heartless he felt around. His small, fleshy heart was beating madly in his chest. Dare he stay near the shadows any longer than he should, he would've died of fear. He still loved his life too much, though, so he did his best to find a proper place to avoid death.

"A library, ugh, as if Jafar wasn't enough of a bookworm…" he muttered but decided to stop looking the gift horse in the mouth, "These things better have something on how to un-wash some kid's brain…"

Going up, he found an odd sight. A lone table rested with a gigantic book on it, opened at the middle. There were two pictures on the opposite pages. Both images of warriors facing one another. Intrigued, Iago started to flip through the pages. He immediately caught sight of something. Two warriors, one of the light and another of the dark, journeying until they met at the center. And the book had no title.

"The Two Kings… When the ultimate light and the ultimate darkness meet, only one can be… the True King…" as he was about to read more, he nearly squawked in terror when hearing a door open. He flew up as silently and quickly as possible after putting the book back where it was. His beak hung open when seeing who had arrived was none other than Riku, guided by Kaguya.

"Ah, here it is." She said with a small smile, holding his shoulder, "A tale older than my existence… Light and Darkness, both choose champions of their own. And yet, when it comes to it, this book shows their ordeals." She flipped through the pages of the king of the light, "Friends, love, warmth, acceptance…" and then flipped the pages of the dark king, "…loneliness, doubt, despair, rage… Two sides of the same being."

"So Naruto needs help facing his double form the Light's side?" he smirked… and his smile faded, "You can't mean Sora!"

She shook her head, giggling through her nose, "This story involves the sides of a true king of darkness. It is always when the light in them meets their darkness that things repeat themselves. History has looped over and over many times when it comes to the appearance of a King of Darkness. And yet, our dear king has met his darkness… and fully accepted it. This book speaks only of that meeting, not of the real meaning behind such a thing. The old man I took this from, Yen Sid, was not even born when the first king appeared, yet he knew and feared the possibilities. Possibilities we need to control so our king doesn't fail."

Riku put on a cocky smirk, "Like he'd let a word like that be in his vocabulary…"

Kaguya had a slowly growing smile, which quickly fell in an instant, her eyes widening, "It appears our king is getting closer to us… Much, much closer."

"What would you have me do?" the mind-controlled albino asked.

"Keep an eye on him this time. I can sense the embodiment of darkness playing her part on this along that cat." She growled the last part.

"Knowing him, he should be the proper king you and Maleficent wanted." The boy said calmly, looking at the picture of the dark king, covered in black armor, with a purple cape, and a massive pitch black Keyblade.

Kaguya smiled softly, touching the picture of the king of light, a man in a silvery armor with a blue cape and a copy of Sora's Kingdom Key, "Your friend really is the light our king needs. His heart and that key of his would allow us a true ruler. Oh, how I've longed for the proper monarch, a tyrant to those that cast us in shadow and a guardian to those who were denied the light…"

Her voice was akin to a purr as she pictured her king as she wanted him to be… or rather where she wanted him to be, in her arms and grown into a manly warrior.

Meanwhile, at Halloween Town, things were going as smoothly as one would expect.

"You have to tell us what you mean, Jack!" Naruto screamed at the lanky skeleton, shaking him like he a madman possessed by the lapels of his fancy coat.

If Jack had eyes, Steven would've seen them rolling around after Naruto stopped shaking him like a ragdoll. Speaking of ragdolls, Sally herself was shocked at the somewhat expected yet unexpected actions from the blond. She had an idea that the two wouldn't like the newest plan Jack hatched for that year's Halloween, she didn't think it'd be that bad. Although, since the skeleton wasn't harmed she didn't act.

"Everything's… spinning… must take note… This'd work great for next year," shutting his eye sockets, much to the boy's surprise, the skeleton regained his senses and, after making a quick note of his latest idea involving making everything spin like a cyclone of madness, spoke, "It's quite simple. I and the good old doctor have been fiddling with the matters of the heart to make one that'll allow me to control Heartless."

"That's the worst idea ever!" Steven shouted, "Didn't you say the Heartless attacked you?!"

Jack waved dismissively, "That's what I'd call a minor setback. And Sora helped us. He said he'd visit this man… Marlin…? I don't recall the name, but he said this man may give him an idea of what to do to fix this. Also, Sora was quite into watching the Heartless fight."

Naruto blinked and looked down blankly, "I can actually see that happening… Wait!" he snapped his fingers in realization before turning to Jack, "Uh, can this help you to stop that?" he asked and wagged a finger. Instantly, Shada leapt out to take a bite on it. Her feet dangled on the air while she energetically and lovingly nibbled the purple gargoyle claw. Jack gasped and examined the little critter enjoying her light nibbling.

"What an amazing specimen of an imp! I must know, how do you do that?! Again, I must ask for your secrets!" Jack started, joy all over his face while Sally grew worried, staring intently at the blond.

Naruto sighed, "I'm not telling you because it's too dangerous." He didn't want to snap at the jolly skeleton, but he was really going to someplace he never should, "Listen, how about I help you with this party and you promise me, in return, to stop this idea of controlling the Heartless."

Jack stepped back, flabbergasted, "I… Oh my, I know that I shouldn't repeat my own ideas every year, but to dance with the Heartless… and the possibilities you put…" he put a hand to his chin in deep thought.

Sally stepped to Naruto, whispering to him, "Thank you…" she smiled at him kindly, having worried at seeing the small Heartless, but seeing his intentions she couldn't help but be grateful, "Jack's a stubborn one, if you want him to give up on an idea, you'll have to convince him yours is better."

"We're pretty stubborn too," Steven said, "and here you have the king of the stubborn ones." He patted Naruto's back with a smile.

Naruto nodded before turning to the ragdoll woman, "Don't you worry, there's no way we're letting a guy like Jack get in trouble with Heartless."

She beamed at the two, just as Jack came with an idea, "Alright, I got it. We shall go to the doctor's lab. If his advances convince me my original idea can be done, we shall see how we can bargain."

Steven sweated a bit, "Ok, you may have competition for stubbornness, Your Highness."

Naruto rubbed his temples with one claw's fingers, being careful not to cut his face, "I guess it's time to see what tricks we can teach Shada."

And not far away, the girls were still searching for their blue furry friend.

"How can he be so small and so fast?" Connie asked with her head under one arm.

Alice raised Lady Luck, her Keyblade lighting up two separate paths. One lead to a dark forest, and the other to what seemed like a very decrepit mansion/treehouse.

"Pardon the pun, but should we leave this decision to luck?" Terra asked nervously, "I don't want to split up here…"

"It's not like either choice is good." Alice sighed, "It's like back at Wonderland, all paths lead one to be lost and both anywhere and nowhere…"

Jasmine tilted her head to the side, "I think I'd rather not go there, but I have found some… advantages to being… what I am." She blushed and pointed to her tail, "I can feel the ground shaking with my tail. It's odder than it sounds, I'll say that much. Anyhow, I can feel movement from the forest and that odd tree in the distance. One feels odd, like there's life hidden, and the other feels quiet yet unnatural. Movement without life, is what I'd call it."

"Should we call Naruto and Steven?" Terra asked, "Foolish as this sounds, I was once in a dangerous mansion and it was because of luck and one of my friends holding it up that we were safe."

"You're not hinting we go to the forest, are you?" Alice asked with dread, "Please say no, after my trip through a rabbit hole into Wonderland I had… Well, I had good experiences meeting Naruto, but before that…"

The two turned to the other girls, Connie shrugging, "I'm not sure. Both sound cool to explore." She said simply.

"Actually, maybe we should… hmm…" she closed her eyes and focused, "I'll try to call Naruto. The advantages of him having my ring." She explained with a small, slightly cheeky grin that made Alice and Terra pout, "So-sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like that!" she panicked, not wanting to fight her friends.

"I'm just kidding… Though, please, do refrain yourself from wording it like that." Alice said and Terra nodded.

The genie nodded and was soon focusing her mind back to her ring while pondering where to go… the forest seemed to have music. But just as Jasmine was about to suggest to the three girls next to her where they should try looking further out for Stitch, she looked up in curiosity as the moon became hidden by a shadow. Her jaw dropped as an immense net had been shot high into the air, then came falling down via weights.

"H-HEY! What the?!" Connie tried cutting her way through, but to her shock tiny black hands jutted out of the black colored net, and restrained her arms. Twin yellow eyes opened up on either side of her, and to the shock of the entire group they realized they had been caught in a Heartless that had shaped itself like a net.

Wicked childish giggling could be heard, as Terra spied a bathtub walking towards them, gripping the net she saw the brats from before who just giggled between each other, "This'll be fun, Mr. Oogie Boogie will be so pleased with our catch! Two Princesses of Heart, and two spares! He'll be so pleased!"

The net suddenly shot up and its weights tied themselves together until the entire thing was bundled up behind the bathtub, all four of the girls staring angrily at the cackling brats.

Alice most of all felt the most anger, she had been uncertain of Naruto choosing to punish them, now she realized, "You little ruffians deserved that punishment and much more! You naughty, wicked, evil little hoodlums!"

"Thank you!" they cheered, laughing at the girls while Lock pointed at them, "And don't try to fight this guy, he's a Heartless given to us by our boss! You can't break it from inside or escape it with magic!"

Barrel nodded, "But you can break it from outside, and it can't move on its own or even attack- Ow!"

Shock had smacked him on the head, "Idiot, don't say that out loud! Now let's go, Mr. Oogie Boogie is sure to give us great candies for these new meals for him!"

The captured girls looked up at the sky as a ferocious howl was heard far above them, and shivered briefly before the bathtub continued on its merry path.

 _ **BRING THEM TO ME!**_

 _ **MY KING NEEDS NO WOMAN BUT ME!**_

 _ **GIVE THEIR HEARTS TO ME!**_

 _ **MY SERVANT!**_

 _ **HURRY WITH YOUR TASK!**_

Naruto gasped as he felt his ring twitch rapidly, Jasmine was going far from him, and he panicked as he couldn't feel her presence close to him anymore.

"No… No! Everyone is in danger!" He spun around, alarming Steven and Jack who both looked concerned at him.

"Connie? What about everyone else?!" Steven couldn't help but ask as Naruto held out his hand, his teeth gritting roughly into a furious snarl. Shada raised her tiny head, chittering furiously as she was growing angry herself. As they were nearing the doctor's laboratory, Naruto couldn't help but about face to glare hopelessly into the distance.

"What's the matter?!" Jack, despite his love for his work, wasn't above worrying for strangers.

A shriek echoed above his head, making him step back in shock as a female form landed in front of him. A cloud of dust shot up and blocked her appearance save for two glowing red eyes that locked onto his own. The cloud was dispersed with a single flap of the figures wings, before the blond was face to face with an utterly gorgeous, but also simultaneously intimidating, woman extending a hand to him gently.

"Who're you?" He was a bit wary of her, but unlike Leona – Lord Dominator in disguise - who had worried him with her smug attitude, this woman made him feel much more at ease.

Something about her gaze, utterly sympathetic and understanding of his pain made him walk forward towards her, "My name is Demona. And I'm a friend to those who live in the dark. I don't know who you are, but I'll gladly aid anyone who has suffered like I have. Please, follow me, I'll help you find your friends."

He narrowed his eyes, "Sorry, that is too… convenient. How do you know who are our friends or that they're in danger?" he kept his ground even as he shook her hand, using a claw to point at her face, "I've met a few people who know of the darkness, but when it comes to my friends I am not letting my guard down. And… I feel like I've seen eyes like you before, that's why I can't be too careful."

She chuckled, inwardly praising him for his sharp mind, "I guess I owe you an explanation." She withdrew her clawed hand with a pained expression after he shook it, her eyes shooting to the side quietly, while she clutched her arm with the opposite limb. "I had spied you earlier with them while I was enjoying the night air on my wings. But I didn't want to interrupt you as you changed from your past forms, when I saw you punish those children, I knew they'd seek revenge on you. They went to a dark place, but I couldn't reach it without bumping into traps. That's why I came here, to save them with your help."

"Oogie Boogie's house!" Jack said, knowing without a second thought only one place and one trio that met the description, "Those three kids are always following that abominable sack of bugs! Naruto, we must get them soon before he does the unspeakable to them! I couldn't let you go alone, let me accompany you! As a friend of Sora's I can't bear the thought of him harming any of you!"

Naruto, hesitantly, told him, "It's fine Jack. You have things to prepare here, and we wouldn't want to involve you."

However, the skeleton showed he didn't speak no, he stepped forward confidently, "Don't worry, I promise you, it's no bother at all. I'll gladly help you three rescue your friends from those little brats."

His help offered, he eagerly joined the small party, Demona welcoming him with a nod. The gargoyle woman in front of him made Naruto look somewhat jealously at how easily she wielded her wings and tail as she calmly told him what he already suspected. Her tone was gentle and sincere as she walked with him towards the ends of town.

"For what worth my word has for you regardless, I am not above disliking those that don't deserve what they get, and three little children have taken your friends to a dark place." Naruto had an idea when seeing her eyes, something in them made his neck hairs stand, "I'm a traveler of the worlds, like you, but I've always stuck to the dark. My race… We gargoyles cannot live in worlds of light; we were born of the darkness."

Steven spoke up, her gaze shooting to him but not showing any emotion but understanding, "You seem like a really nice lady, so we'll gladly accept your help in rescuing our friends! My name is Steven!"

Demona gave him a warm nod, but privately her lips sneered very briefly, so fast and so minutely did her expressions go by that no one saw her look disgusted at Steven. Naruto stared at her right in the eye but didn't know what to make. She had a good poker face. Her eyes met his and she could tell there was something special in the boy. It was beyond his eyes, like his soul recognized something in her.

Suddenly the idea of having someone like him grow into the Darkness' proper king became even more appealing, "Do follow my lead…" she climbed to the nearest lamppost and extended her wings.

Seeing that as a competition, Naruto crawled over a higher wall and spread his wings, fully opening them while his new gargoyle tail remained close to his side. Smiling softly, she threw herself down, head first, and let the wind carry her. Seeing how she did things, Naruto focused on his wings and moved them up and down a bit, and kept doing so as he let himself fall down… and quickly brought himself up.

Flapping once to gain some more height, he followed after her, surprised at how fast the ground moved beneath him while Jack, using his long spider-like legs, jumped after them with Steven on his back. The now orc boy was shocked that the skeleton had the strength to just pull him over his shoulders, but didn't complain after seeing how agile and rather similar to an arachnid he was. Demona did her best to keep her face away from the blond and focused on having him follow her while gliding. She was amazed how well he learned when having goals, even one as simple as not being bested by her. He was copying her with ease.

"That's it, right?" Naruto pointed to a large and decrepit tree with metal and wood merging in the most unnatural of ways to make a home. He snarled at the place, "Those brats will get a piece of my mind!"

Another smile, this time a rather coy smirk, spread on Demona's face at seeing his anger, but she knew she had to control herself, "Aim that anger well and don't let yourself be blinded. Know who caused you harm and who you want to return the pain."

He sighed, remembering Hades' lessons, "I do know…" he closed his eyes.

Demona could feel her heart race when she turned her head to see him opening them. Like a true gargoyle, his eyes glowed with power. A deep glowing red like that of the Heartless in him flashed from his orbs. However, her joy was short-lived as something in him seemed to dull the anger. She was tempted to ask what was it, but the anger at seeing the potential the Darkness wanted there for a second disappear as quickly was like she was being cruelly teased.

Her question came out the way she didn't expect, "Are you alright?" she… hated how meek that sounded, but she had to keep an act.

He nodded, "I just reminded myself to keep the girls safe before I hang those kids by their toes over the town's well."

Naruto slammed down on the highest level of the tower, his eyes glowing pure red before he spread his wings and roared to the skies. His voice was joined by Demona after she landed next to him as she screamed into the night with him, their voices vibrating together then forming a sonic wave. A bubble of pure darkness combined with the sonic blast until the entire tower was blasted wide open, reveal a long tunnel that deep into the depths of the entire building.

Demona chuckled softly as her eyes went back to normal, her claw gently patting Naruto's shoulder while he smiled back at her, "Excellent work my friend, you're already mastering the powers of a Gargoyle, even if you're not originally one of us… You're most impressive in using darkness."

After she let go of him, he rubbed his shoulder sheepishly, her gaze putting him off as he saw something that spoke of deep rage in it, and now he just saw a genuine and sincere desire to help him, and aid him. "Thanks Demona… I appreciate your help, you didn't have to do this, neither you or Jack."

The skeleton let Steven off his back, giving both of them a lavish bow that had his entire body become practically horizontal to the ground, "It's my pleasure! Any friend of Sora's is a friend of mine. Besides, I've been meaning to deal with that Oogie Boogie for a long time now…"

Extending a long bony arm, a flash of green slime extended down it and Jack gave the party a smile that spoke of his intent to finish things properly, "Whoa, that is cool! And oddly gross, but mostly cool!" Steven cheered, "What is it?"

"The Soul Robber, an anti-Heartless weapon I had the Doctor make for me. This beautiful little thing will eliminate that sack of bugs, down to the last little grub." He said as the thing wiggled like a living creature over his arm, until he formed it into a green spiked glove over his bony fist.

Slinging his great shield off of his back, Steven gave the trio his own nod, "Then let's do it. This Oogie Boogie guy sounds like a real jerk, and if there's anything I know… It's that jerks like him don't feel bad about being jerks!"

Pointing down at the tube with a claw, Demona gave them all a nod as she told Naruto, "Let's go down together, if we went one by one, then we'd be prey to whatever traps that fiendish creature has in store."

Naruto couldn't dispute that at all, as he had a feeling she was perfectly right. What he didn't know was that this was all going according to her plan, she was perfectly integrating herself with him, his initial reservations notwithstanding. And if her pawns were in any way competent, then they'd be able to kill the Princesses of Heart just in time for her to help him avenge their deaths. She hadn't revealed the part of her plan where she'd kill the three brats with him, she simply threatened them if they didn't kill the princesses then she would.

"Hey there!" speak of the devils, "Heads up!"

Jack, Steven and Naruto reacted quickly when three jack-o-lanterns the size of bathtubs flew their way with spooky faces carved on them. Naruto merely slashed the one coming to him in two, both halves flying behind him. Steven for his part stomped forward with his shield up, letting the orange projectile smash into pieces. Jack's Soul Robber lashed at the projectile, wrapping around it and letting him yank it back. The three pranksters gulped when the skeleton threw the pumpkin back at them, hugging each other.

The result was instantaneous, all three were covered in orange mush and knocked on their asses. Stars flew around their vision and only disappeared along any color their already pale faces may have had when the purple gargoyle boy stood before them. Demona smiled when seeing him tighten his grip on his sword, desiring to see him cut them down, to see their hearts become another meal for her future king's blade.

Instead, Naruto cut the small wooden catapult the mischievous trio used like it were hot butter, and glared at them, "Where are our friends?"

Lock gulped, "Friends, what friends? I thought you were all alone on your own!"

Shock nodded, "Yeah, these masks make it hard to see anything at all for us!"

Barrel hummed, "Doesn't he mean those four girls we left at Mr. Oogie Boogie's-"

Naruto stomped forward hard enough to make the ground shake slightly. The three kids tried to run, only to find their path blocked by Shada, resting on her sword while narrowing her tiny eyes at them. The bunny-like Heartless wasn't alone, Steven blocked the path to their right and Jack jumped like a graceful spider to the left. Demona for her part stood behind Naruto, her glowing red eyes telling the kids to keep their tongues still whenever a subject may be connected to her.

"Speak of what you've done, children, and spare the details and lies." She showed her claws, "I've known my fair share of fools for centuries to know a liar when seeing one."

The three shivered, holding each other close and unsure of what to do… until three little Heartless jumped on their heads. Naruto recognized their kind, but didn't expect the different colors. The tiny straw hats and pot-shaped body with tiny legs said what they were, but only one was red like the ones he saw in Wonderland. Another was blue, and a third was yellow. The kids were taken away by the small creatures while our heroes could only try to register what happened in their minds.

Seeing their small victory, the kids started to mock the gargoyles, orc and skeleton, "Losers, losers, you can't catch us!" they chanted, pulling out small bombs from their pockets.

Demona for her part smiled, ' _His rage is not enough. I shall help mold it better so he doesn't end like that fool of Goliath. Enjoy your pathetic games, you three, they'll end in this fight along your lives._ '

Everyone got ready for a fight as the three little brats started throwing explosives down at our heroes. Once again, Steven relied on his shield for offense and defense. He was hit directly by one of the small bombs, which had enough powder in it to send him skidding back to a stop. After a brief yelp and regaining his footing, he threw his weapon at the three pranksters.

Lock gasped and swung his body to the side to avoid it, losing his bombs on the way. Seeing this, Jack used the Soul Robber to snatch them, whirled them around over his head and threw them back at the trio. All three gulped and let go of their temporal flying vehicles and, to their luck, landed on their bathtub which started to… walk, not run. Jack was quick to jump and dash after them like a spider.

Demona for her part had other plans and followed right after the kids too, dissimulating for her next plan. Naruto and Steven tried to give chase but fire balls and ice flew to them. Steven was quick to get between his friend and the projectiles with his shield. The blond was even faster to bring up his left hand and fire back. A blast of ice met the fireballs, making them dissipate. A second ice shot froze the tiny red mages.

Steven nodded to him, and an idea formed, the shield user marched forward with his shield up, covering Naruto who squatted down to be at his level. The blue mages started shooting their own ice spells, freezing the ground and cover the shield with ice until Steven was stuck. All of the small Heartless mages flew to get the two… only to find Steven smirking and no one else.

They panicked too late, for several fire balls roasted and made the Heartless disappear. Steven cheered for his friend, only to feel something loom over him and smell something weird. Reacting quickly, he broke through the ice to roll away from a lightning bolt. The yellow mage hovered, surrounded by others of its kind while Naruto and Steven looked at them with determination in their eyes.

"Lightning, huh? That'll be fun to learn." Naruto said while all the hearts flew to his Keyblade, making him sigh as he felt how easily his power grew after absorbing them.

"I just hope the girls are all right." Steven commented before turning his full focus on the Heartless, "Let's take these guys out, we can't let them slow us down!"

Naruto smiled, he couldn't agree more. However, just as he was about to try to hit the Heartless his own instincts screamed at him. His body reacted faster than his mind, and he grabbed Steven to roll out of the way of a red beam. The ground was left with a smoldering crater while both boys stared at it. They looked all around, trying to find the sniper… but found no one.

Demona ground her teeth, "It appears my king is too careful." She crushed the weapon in her hand, a technologically advanced laser gun, into unrecognizable pieces with a growl, "If I can't kill that kid and make him feel anger to those brats by blaming them, then that sack of bugs better down his job before we arrive. I need a king who knows of revenge to make the light pay."

That said, she landed down next to Naruto who nodded at her as she held within her hand a struggling green colored Heartless. It had been trying to revive its, for lack of a better word, comrades. With a clench of her fists, its heart shot into the air and flew into Naruto's Keyblade, making him exhale softly as he learned a new form of magic.

"Cure." He held out his hand and green leafs sprouted from it as a wound over her arm that Demona hadn't even noticed she had gotten from a stray lightning bolt sealed shut.

Her eyes shot to his wide smile and for a second, just a small one, she felt like a young hatchling who had seen her first male naked. A blush came briefly over her cheeks as he pulled away from her all too soon for her tastes. Clutching her arm with one claw again, the she-demon watched Naruto intently as she followed the group deeper into Oogie's lair. Plans and schemes forming then being discarded as quickly as they emerged in her head.

"Do you really want the blame for all you've done?!" Jack asked, stepping in front of the three kids.

Lock pointed at him, "With Mr. Oogie Boogie as king you'll have nothing!" He, Shock, and Barrel sweated when seeing Demona nearing them, knowing she'd be unhappy if they let anyone know her real plans.

"Yeah, like that twerp with wings could help those girls!" Shock shouted.

"They're probably playing one of his games and losing badly!" Barrel added.

And their bathtub stopped moving when a sword impaled it like a harpoon. They froze and turned to see Naruto, hearts flying around from behind him and swiftly moving to the dark sword.

He only had one thing to say as he lifted his left hand coated in lightning, "Take me to them or you'll understand how mad I am when it comes to lightning…"

 _Never doubt your own strength_

 _My children, you're the ones he needs most_

 _It is time you fight back_

 _And I'll grant you my strength_

The girls didn't have it easy. When they could see again, they found themselves stuck to the wall of a room that oozed greed and sadism aplenty. Its decoration spoke of torture, with skeletons hanging limply on several devices, and vice. Vice came in the form of cowboy slot machines, a big roulette in the center of the room that could be big enough to act as a dancing arena, and several blades of all kinds on the ceiling.

"NGH… GH… RGH… This net isn't budging…" Connie angrily tried cutting her way out, but found that she was practically useless right now. She finally sheathed her sword, sighing softly as Jasmine was stuck in the net Heartless and couldn't leave it. Every time she tried to turn into her true form and fly back to him, she found herself blocked.

"I'm sure the guys will save us…" Terra said softly, but her tone showed her reluctance and frustration with the situation; she was tired of being the maiden in distress. She had enough of that back home…

Surprising her friends, Alice stuck Lady Luck right outside of the net, a glowing light sphere forming over its tip. "Naruto and Sora aren't the only ones who have Keyblades! Let's try this!" The net Heartless wiggled in concern, then erupted into wisps of black smoke when a blast of light shot out of the Keyblade, then struck the net itself turning it into so much black smoke as they all dropped down.

"Well, well, well…" said a booming voice from nowhere and everywhere at the same time, "Well, well, well…" it said again, seemingly getting closer until the owner, which looked like a cheap burlap sack given holes to mimic a mouth and eyes with tiny arms and short, stubby legs, appeared, "Well, w-"

"Could you please cut that out and tell us how you plan to kill us?" Connie asked, adjusting her head under an arm while the other girls got ready for action.

The burlap sack growled, "Hey! I got at least two more wells in me! It seems this Oogie Boogie has to teach you girls a lesson! And I was going to be nice enough to play a game of…" he brought up a foot, "I win!"

Upon slamming down his foot on a button, Oogie Boogie made the floor the girls were in spin around. They watched as the roulette was a platform that was pushed down while Oogie was in another one far above the ground. His platform came protected with steel spikes and a control set. It became obvious what he could control when bladed pendulums swung around, the slot machines readied their guns, and swords spun.

Alice was quick to block a slash from a broadsword held by a mechanical poker card of a king, making her inwardly groan, with both Lady Luck and her new weapon. Connie nearly lost a heartbeat when a spear jumped from the ground and cut through her neck… if there was one. For the first time she was glad to be headless. Jasmine curled her tail and aimed a hand at the living sack, firing three fireballs right at his face. Oogie merely laughed when the spells bounced off. Surprised, Terra tried her luck using a wind spell, three tornadoes forming around Oogie's platform and colliding against it… to no effect!

"What's that thing made of?!" Connie asked before bringing up her sword to use the flat side of the blade as a shield. The slot machines had fired at once, but thankfully her sword was strong enough to make the projectiles bounce off against the crazy gambler's platform... and make it shake!

"Hey, what's the big idea?! This thing's ain't cheap!" he shouted at them, shaking one of its skinny, fingerless hands at them curled as if to form a fist.

Terra realized the trick, "It's immune to magic, nothing else!"

The girls nodded to each other, changing their plan of attack. Alice and Connie faced Oogie while Jasmine and Terra confronted the egotistical sack of bugs' traps. The desert princess started to be thankful of her new snake body when hearing something soaring through the air at her side, and slithered with her body on the ground. Darts flew over where she was, nailing a wall. She quickly turned around from where the darts came from, firing a large ball of fire and lightning mixed as one. An explosion signaled one trap less while Oogie cursed.

"Who do you think you are breaking my toys?!"

"Who do you think you are attacking us?!" came Jasmine's reply.

Seeing him distracted, Alice nodded to Connie, who immediately bent her knees. The Keyblade wielding princess ran to her friend, jumped on her shoulders, and soon both jumped up. Alice was right in front of a terrified Oogie, who yelped when she smashed the control panel with Lady Luck before sticking herself to the platform with her knife. Panicking, Oogie started to smash buttons to get the platform to move. It stared to spin around the room at fast speeds, forcing Alice to let go and land back on the dangerous gambling room.

"Urgh! You think you can mess with this Mr. Oogie Boogie Man?!"

"You think we'd stand here if we didn't?" Alice quipped with a smile.

Connie nodded, "It's practically our job to kick bad guy butt!"

"Why you!" he cried, slamming down a button. Both girls cried when the floor beneath them sprung up, sending them flying and slamming against a wall. The sight made something snap in one of the others.

"You… you!" he heard Terra shout, aiming a lightning coated hand to the knife still stabbed on the platform, "Don't you dare hurt my friends!"

When the lightning bolt hit the knife like it were a lightning rod, Oogie started to scream and shudder as his body was shaken with a violent electric shock. He fell down his platform, rolling back from the intensity. Upon landing on the spinning roulette he was met with four very angry and battle ready girls. Alice and Connie held up their swords, wind surrounded Terra, and Jasmine showed her fangs and claws. If it were a cartoon, that'd be the part where a huge dust cloud erupted and all that could be seen would be Oogie's body as the girls beat the stuffing out of him, nearly literally.

"Wait! Before you kill me… Let me say one thing! Just one thing! Please!" The sack of bugs backed away fearfully, waving one flat hand rapidly.

Connie pointed her broad sword at the sack of bugs as she wasn't having any of it, "Like I'd buy that!" His black eye like holes narrowed then he flipped back with surprising agility when she rocketed forward, her sword going through the air past him as the Boogie Man landed on a platform a good ten feet away.

"Well, well, well! You're quite vicious babes, ain't ya ladies!? Well, I'm a man who likes his women with a little fight in them!" Oogie Boogie backed away slowly, then clapped his hands rapidly, looking amused as his platform shot up a set of bars that prevented them from touching him. Even though Alice shot out a blast of light magic from Lady Luck, it just bounced off of a reflective barrier over their heads.

"I never thought I'd use a word as strong as hate, but…" Terra mumbled to herself.

"Now, I think I'll just make my exit anddddd-" Just as the platform begun rising far up above them, an acidic pit opening below them as their platform slowly begun to sink, a round grey furry missile slammed onto his platform and him by association, "AAAAHHHHHHH WHAT!?" Oogie cried when he felt two tiny claws hammer pounding him in the head hard enough to make a disgusting splat as green slime and bug parts shot out of Oogie Boogie's eyes and mouth holes.

"Aloha!" the girls' odd friend cheered as he arrived.

"BLARGHHH…" Puking out his brains and flesh literally made Oogie Boogie collapse while his platform slammed into the sinking one hard enough to send everyone screaming and flying into the air.

Using the momentum gathered from smashing its target to fly back onto the wall, the grey missile bounced like a rubber ball off of its surface l and moved fast enough to catch every girl as they flew through the air. Watching his destructive handiwork fall into the acidic pool below them, Stitch cheered happily and let loose a pleased, "YES!" as he danced up and down rapidly while holding his friends high above his head.

Jasmine had to ask though, as this was a subject of wonder to her, "Stitch, how did you find us? I thought no one but those brats knew where we were." Stitch stopped dancing for a second, then grinned widely as Zero floated up in front of Jasmine and let loose a happy bark before licking her face with a ghostly tongue.

Giggling now, Terra couldn't help but smile at her friend, "Well, it seems that we were saved but by a real hero." Stitch looked pleased with himself, which made everyone chuckle.

As if on cue, the entrance to Oogie's lair was blasted open by a bolt of lightning as a duo of gargoyles, an orc and a skeleton walked over, with the horned Keyblade wielder holding three masked kids under his arm, "Alright Oogie! I hope you liked your party because I'm here to crash it!" Naruto shouted as the smoke started to fall down.

Steven gave him a thumb up, "Yeah, that's how you make one-liners… you gotta work on the pun, but not bad."

"Really?" Naruto asked before mentally kicking his ass, "Wait, the girls… You heard me, you overgrown-"

"We rescued ourselves." Connie said, waving with one hand while her other arm held her head close to her body, "And Stitch prevented Oogie from escaping."

Demona stood behind with her back turned to our heroes, for she was about to rip out her thumb with the way she bit it, ' _I should've known that sack of bugs wouldn't get anything done! But I can still salvage this by killing the princesses and the brats…_ ' she snapped her fingers, darkness slipping under her feet and towards the beaten Oogie Boogie.

She watched as the group reunited with Naruto setting down the three tied up punks, Jack narrowing his eye sockets at them, "You three owe these girls a proper apology, and I'll make sure you answer for this."

The skeleton scared them enough, but seeing the girls and the gargoyle boy glare at them they felt ready to spill their guts, "It was-" before Barrel could answer or his or his friends' fingers could point at Demona, Oogie rose. The three pranksters froze when hearing the sack of bugs roar.

"You think you can play me for a goof?! I'll bring this place down with all of you in it!" he screamed while sporting the Heartless emblem on his chest.

He opened his maw, sucking air with such might it was like a tornado started sucking everything in. Gales of wind pulled everyone close to the burlap sack's mouth and everyone reacted as quickly as they could. Jasmine wrapped her body around a pipe, hugging Terra and Connie's close to her. Unfortunately for Connie, she grabbed on the genie but didn't hold on to her head. Fortunately, Alice was nearby and held on to a wall by stabbing Lady Luck on it. Stitch was fast to dig his claws to the steel. Jack's Soul Robber lassoed around the nearest pipe while he grabbed Steven.

Naruto was about to use his clawed feet and hands to grab on, but watched something that stopped him from doing so, "Help!" the three brats cried as they neared Oogie's opened mouth.

Spreading his wings, he glided after the three, wrapping his left arm around them and swiftly pulling them out of danger while with his right he readied his incomplete sword, "This is going to be disgusting…" he growled and narrowed his eyes at the sack of bugs. It was over in a second, as soon as he was about to have his head enter the bug sack's mouth, his Keyblade pierced right through it, making it stop in shock.

"W-What?! You can't- Wait, if you take this Oogie Boogie's heart, you'll have to deal with the things I like, and I like playing the dirtiest!" he was about to cry, or do the closest to it, but Naruto heard enough.

"Then that's a risk I have to take!" With but a single stab, he absorbed the heart of the foul bug sack. Screaming in agony, Oogie merely went limp, dissolving into nothing but slime covered burlap.

Naruto's arm bulged briefly, feeling an agonizing sensation, like spiders or insects writing in his muscle tissue. Slowly it smoothed down, and in wonder, he watched as several small cuts and bruises he had gained in the fight seal shut. Holding out his right hand, tiny almost insect-like Heartless appeared over it, crawling around and nipping at his flesh with extremely sharp jaws, making him tsk in pain before they disappeared.

Demona, watching this with utmost focus, sneered when she saw the princesses run towards Naruto, "Things must always be complicated." Behind her back, she pressed a small switch that immediately broke from the force of her claws. Triggering the explosives she had set up ahead of time to detonate as Oogie's place begun imploding.

The entire place wasn't so much built by a skilled architect as it was put together with child safety glue, bug slime, and hope. As a result, she merely had to use minimal explosive material to bring the entire place crumbling down. Something she was grateful for as she didn't want to leave any trace of her true actions behind. The children were the only thing she had to worry about, which was why she had thought ahead.

Before they would be able to tell Naruto the truth, a gas she had learned would erase their memories of her involvement was used. All they would remember was that Oogie Boogie was behind things, the sack of bugs would prove his worth there at least. The gas namely was to never tell Naruto the truth about her involvement, if they did, all memory of her would be erased from their minds.

A huge chunk of rubble fell from the ceiling towards Jasmine and Alice, Naruto furiously blasting it away with a Dark Firaga as the entire place begun crumbling. The gargoyle woman only clenched her claw briefly, her eyes resisting the urge to glow a burning red before she rushed towards him. Her tail swung out and smacked away another piece of rubble that would've fallen on him.

"NARUTO! We need to leave now, my friend!" She urged him, silently cursing his kindness as he saved those worthless peons of the Light. He nodded at her as he carried the three snotlings in his arm, his wings spreading wide as did hers. As much as she wanted them dead, they would still prove useful in securing her innocent appearance in his eyes.

"Everyone, hold on!" He told his friends, Steven helping Connie up with a grin, Jack leaping forward with them, all of the group just barely making it out of the crumbling mansion.

Demona growled to herself, but remained as sweet as she could as she flew with them, ' _A king that is kind to us of the dark yet won't hesitate to take down an enemy… That's the monarch we need._ '

 _She thinks I am going to let her destroy my son's hope._

 _She thinks wrong._

 _Rise, daughter of Light._

Dim blue eyes sleepily stared into the abyss, before light returned to him, a small thread shooting off into infinity then connecting onto a heart which found itself worlds away. The transfer of light brought back a sharp glow to their gaze, the owner of these eyes shaking her head slowly, as she sat up with a gasp.

"Sora! Naruto! Riku!" She breathed in slowly, her small chest moving up and down as she felt life return to it.

A Keyblade formed in her fist, light enveloping her body and giving her the knowledge on how to use it. She looked at it at wonder, her eyes taking in its beautiful ornate form.

It was comprised of a heart shaped handle, formed from a vine and a wave combined. The wave at the end formed into a vine, while the other vine encircled and wrapped around a brilliant blazing orange blade that faded into a deep red, much like the glow of a Destiny Isles sunset. Its teeth were comprised of deceivingly sharp flowers, forming into an intricate blade that was equal parts plant as it was metal.

And hanging off of it, as a keychain that made tears come to her eyes, was a small Paopu fruit attached to an orange lanyard like chain. She got up slowly, her gaze becoming determined as she found she was on a rocking wooden ship, and she could feel the Heartless surging around her. This wouldn't be easy, but she had the memories of Sora's fighting, and she could feel him with her. Almost like he was guiding her as she slowly took a stance of her own.

Her heart beat as she felt something deep in her. For a split second she could see another boy right beside her, faint and glimmering as he held his Keyblade in a reverse grip. She blinked, there was something eerily familiar about him… and as soon as it came, it was gone. The small girl blinked and looked around where she found herself, in a small island no different than hers… and with a girl staring right at her.

"Whoa! Hi!" she shrieked and then forced a hand up in a friendly wave when the girl seemed to just have appeared right out of nowhere.

Dark reddish skin, black hair set in braids, an Indian outfit covering a slim and young yet strong and curvaceous body and a blue headband with a feather were the things that stood out. The girl was possibly a couple years older than her, given her far shapelier figure. She was also most likely skilled in something more than housekeeping with her physique. Intelligence shone in her sharp eyes, which were focused on the redhead.

"Who are you…?" Kairi couldn't help but ask, the girl seemed to consider the question for a bit before she chirped back in a rough approximation of her language.

"I Tigerlily. Princess. Of village." She introduced herself haltingly, pointing to her face then outwards with a smile.

In the distance, Kairi saw smoke flying from a Native American village, with chanting and singing coming from it. Tigerlily held out her hand to Kairi, who gladly took it as the Native American princess smiled brightly then pointed above her head.

"AH! Fairy! Fairy! Tinkerbell! Here!" She declared, making Kairi look up to see a glowing ball of light shoot past her, then stop suddenly when it noticed her.

Moving closer, she could see a tiny female body glowing a bright yellow, an angry pouty look on the female's face. The fairy roughly resembled a human form, with elegant gossamer like insect wings. Her very curvy and surprisingly well endowed body wore a bright green dress and two slippers on her feet, while her face had surprisingly plump lips which were curved into aforementioned angry pout. A bun of bright blonde hair extended from her head, while her eyes seemed to stare intently at the red headed girl.

"Hello… Who're you? Tinkerbell?" Kairi held out her hand as the fairy landed on it with a curious gaze, seeing something in her eyes that made her calmer. A little bit at least, as Tinkerbell stomped around her hand furiously. Her jingling and bell like noises somehow being perfectly understandable to Kairi.

' _Stupid, dirty, ugly, idiot, Peter! Ignoring me for a little strumpet that you just met! Stupid! I hate you!'_ Tinkerbell pounded her foot against Kairi's palm, flying up in a huff.

Kairi looked worried at how furious the little fairy was, "Are you all right? Come on, there's no need to be so bad if a guy ignored you, right?"

The fairy stood stiff, staring at her as if she had finally seen her, and pointed to her face, ' _You understand me?_ ' Kairi nodded, ' _But how? Even Peter has to see me do hand motions so that he can understand me. The likes of Hook also have to guess what I say at times, and that codfish is smart._ '

Kairi chuckled sheepishly, "Your guess is as good as mine." She shook her head and decided to introduce herself, "I'm Kairi, and it's nice to meet you even if you don't feel great."

Tinkerbell huffed, ' _That's putting it lightly. That idiot… he thinks he can fool around and ignore me just for his stupid thrills! Who does he think he is?! Why can't a guy actually appreciate a girl?!_ '

Kairi giggled, "I can sort of relate to that, but then again, it took me some time to get used to the guys I know to appreciate them and have them return the feelings. It's… still a work in progress." May everything pure bless Sora's heart, but he was so obvious and thickheaded that at times Kairi wanted to smack him when Naruto, a complete stranger to them, figured out the feelings both teens had.

Tinkerbell looked at her in interest, ' _Would you mind sharing your secrets?_ '

Kairi's desire to help comfort the fairy had to wait however, as she spun around when Tigerlily shrieked in fear.

"Heart Eaters! Here!" From the ground, Shadows slowly slide out of the earth, their heads moving eerily as they focused on Kairi who silently took her stance.

She saw a new breed of Heartless leap out of the shadows, the Heartless seemed to wear brown patchwork pants and shoes. Over its head was a bandana attached to a brown eyepatch marked with a white x over one of their eyes, and over one shoulder was a skull. It had yellow cloth ties over its arms, and wielded a wide curved blade that resembled a Chinese Dao. It appeared to be a Heartless itself owing to the face on it.

"Tigerlily, Tinkerbell, stay behind me and don't worry. I'll protect you both." The little fairy hovered behind her with a small nod, while Tigerlily gulped and nodded at Kairi who glared at the Heartless that were approaching, and deep down, she couldn't feel afraid, "Sora, Naruto, Riku… You three better be alright or I'll be mad once I find you!"

Mimicking Sora the best way she could, the redhead closed her eyes and held her sword with both hands. Opening them in a flash, she charged at the nearest Shadow and slashed it in half. Its body dispersed into darkness while another jumped at her with its claws out. She stumbled back, holding her Keyblade up to parry the strike but getting pushed. Strong hands held her, Tigerlily had stopped her from falling with a grin.

Nodding with a matching grin the petite redhead thought back to the ways Sora and Riku fought and recalled one move they tried to reach her. Watching the large sword wielding Heartless charge at her, she put the tip of her Keyblade near the ground and stood forward, spun around, and brought the blade up. While the technique was in no way as refined as her more battle savvy friends, she succeeded in cutting it down.

' _How can you do that?_ ' Tinkerbell asked in awe.

Kairi breathed deeply and held up her Keyblade, "I don't know, but… I feel like I've done this before. Something in me, but what is it? It's like Sora's here with me, but someone else…"

"Watch out!" Tigerlily's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and the redhead brought up her Keyblade to stop another buccaneer Heartless' sword before instinctively kicking it away.

Seeing that she was surrounded, she held the sword with both hands and cast the dark beings a confident smile, "Sorry, I'm not going to stay here. There's three goofballs I have to take care of."

 **YOUR WEAK PRINCESS HAS NO MIGHT AGAINST MY KING!**

 **AND NOW YOU'VE LEFT YOURSELF OPEN!**

 **AHAHAHAHA!**

And that's my rap!

Kairi joins the fray. You can blame her heart not being locked inside Sora as the Light's doing. Desperate times call for desperate needs, and… yes, this will cost the Light.

Swordslinger out!


	16. Brand New Destiny

I OWN NOTHING

Let's see another side of this story.

 **WARNING 1** : I'll introduce a beloved childhood pairing of mine from… the oddest point of view. You'll be baffled since a friend of mine like this odd idea, so try to stick till the end to see an explanation.

 **WARNING 2** : I don't really like Peter Pan's character. Sure, Hook's a pirate but if you think about it Peter is a sociopath. He cut a man's hand, fed it to a beast that wants nothing but eat said man, and makes fun of him on a daily basis. Everything is fun and games to him. When Tinkerbell seems to have died that's the only time he shows care for her… and in the sequel he treats her the same than before he thought her dead. Bottom line, you're reading a chapter which has him in it, and I just said I don't like him for a number of reasons that no one will change my mind about. Now, on with the chapter.

 _ **Beta's notes here:**_ Heyo folks, this is the Lord of Pages as always working in the shadows. I was the one who gave this madman his idea, so blame me if you like. As always my job is an uncredited and thankless one that the Sword Slinger needs to give me more credit for. Hah hah hah, well he knows I'm joking with him there. Anyways, I hope you all love our ideas. As for me, I'm afraid it's back into my naughty box again until the next time he decides to let me out.

Brand New Destiny

 **I WILL BREAK YOU!**

 _As long as my child is safe, I'll endure it!_

 **YOUR PRECIOUS PRINCESS' HEART WILL BE SHATTERED!**

 _Sora's heart is with you, you will never be away from him._

"Is that… *pant* all you have?"

After a dozen hearts flew in the air, Kairi allowed herself to fall down to her knees after putting on her bravado and having the last of her energies leave her body. For a small fourteen-year-old girl she held on well. Sure, her body hurt, she had a few bruises and a couple nasty cuts but nothing too serious. Her hair was a mess, but dealing with Sora and Riku meant she cared little about that. She was girly, but she kicked hard.

" _Impressive…_ " Tinkerbell said after she and Tigerlily were done being amazed that a girl with little to nothing, or just plain none, combat experience managed to beat dark beings. She also noticed the girl's state, " _Oh my, hang on!_ " she flew to her and Kairi started to feel better as golden dust started to fall around her. Soon her energies returned, and her wounds healed and closed while her bruises vanished.

The redhead smiled weakly, she could be healed but she was tired, "Thanks… So, does this happen often?"

"More than tribe likes." Tigerlily said firmly with a frown, "Peter Pan protect land, but playing is what he like most."

"Where is he, then?" the redhead asked, finally getting up on rather wobbly legs.

Tinkerbell huffed, " _Playing with some airhead he brought just because he thought it'd be fun to bring her here from her world._ "

It didn't take long for the gears in Kairi's head to process that the fairy didn't like whoever the airhead was. She doubted the unknown girl was an airhead since jealous women tended to say a lot of mean things. She wasn't above being petty at times or mean in her own way, Sora could attest of that. And speaking of said boy, she really wanted to see him. For the first time since she met the brunet, she felt lost and alone.

Burning with the desire to see her friends, she was filled with the determination to move forward, "Take me to them, please. I'd like to see if he can help me find my friends." She pleaded with her heart in every word. She knew she could put on the most innocent look and not even Riku would deny her anything, but whenever she needed something she'd rather ask nicely for the help than use someone.

Her pleading look did win the fairy and the Indian girl over, though, "Tribe not far. Maybe they see friends."

" _They can keep him tied up to a pole for a week, him and that Wendy girl…_ "

"You're really not fond of her, huh?" Kairi asked with an awkward smile.

" _She tried to kiss him and he was oblivious to what that meant! Oh, but when some pretty girl rewards him he'll be cheering like any other he's with doesn't matter!_ " the fairy made it clear that she was mad.

Sighing as she could see she'd get nowhere fast, Kairi opted to talk to Tigerlily, "That bad?" the braided girl nodded.

"Peter good warrior. Mermaids and tribe girls cheer for him. I too cheer for Peter." Tinkerbell huffed.

" _Hey, what about the first girl? Aren't stories supposed to cheer for the one to like someone before others?_ " she sounded calmer but Kairi knew she could blow up any second.

"Those are stories, it's about how much the guy cares for you too." She thought back on Sora, and how oblivious he was, but also how caring he could be, "Sure, guys won't be able to read our minds. That's a sad truth, just like we can't figure them out. We're people, we girls shouldn't expect them to know everything about us, like they shouldn't expect us to be okay with all they say."

Tigerlily was intrigued by the red haired girl's wisdom, "You speak of clueless men. What make them different?"

"Know there are times someone tries really hard to make you smile…" She loved Sora for many reasons, and she barely listed some of the best ones. "Perhaps with little details or constantly doing his best, even if he doesn't know how you feel. Guys like that are one in a kind, because they make others happy without a reason to."

Tinkerbell sighed, " _Sure wish there were more guys like that._ "

Kairi giggled nervously, "Well… I can't say I'm of help. I tease him and don't let him know how I feel, so he's still just my friend. Ah… I wish he made the first move, but I feel like he'll only think of me as a friend after what I've done. Just…" she sighed, "Listen, both boys and girls are at fault when it comes to things like this. Both sides always ask too much, and it's not like anyone has it easy. Liking someone is always hard."

"Such fine, wise words, my dear…"

The girls turned to find a man walking to them with a green, a fancy red trench coat, a big sailor hat with a very large feather, a rapier resting on his hip, and a massive chin. If it weren't already weird enough, he had a very thin but long string mustache, a wild mane of curly black hair, and a hook for a hand. He was busy smoking two cigars with a large cigarette holder made of silver. He blew a ring of smoke.

"And you and your friends are…?" Kairi asked, bringing up her Keyblade as the man, already intimidating with his height, was flanked with men that were obviously pirates with their outfits and weapons drawn.

The pirate leader smirked, "Tonight's entertainment." He cheered and with a snap of his fingers more Heartless appeared.

The girls stepped back, for Kairi knew she was good but not that good. At best she was decent in a battle, but experienced fighters and more Heartless would be a really unfair match for the redhead princess. She held up her Keyblade regardless and readied herself to give the pirates the fight of their life if they thought they'd have it easy. And they didn't when a new, melodious voice echoed in the beach everyone was in.

"I knew I'd find you here." Said… a very tall, very odd, and very bizarrely beautiful lady.

In walked another woman with dark reddish skin, but nothing that made her look like she was from Tigerlily's tribe. She had the bounciest-looking square-shaped afro to ever be seen, a pair of large glasses that covered the top of her face like a visor, and plump lips. Her body had lean muscle on her exposed arms, with a skin-tight red suit with a star motif to it that really showed how thick her thighs were on her long legs.

She had a friendly, rather motherly smile, "What the… an Indian woman? I thought they never stepped out of that village…" the big-chinned man muttered to himself.

The tall woman's face turned into a stoic, rather cold expression, making a great contrast with the first impression she gave, "I'm afraid you'll have to learn I'm a bit more than you see." She lifted her hands into fists, and in a flash of light from what Kairi swore were gems on her hands, two large red gauntlets appeared, which fingers she curled to make fists with them.

The man laughed, "You think you can take James Hook and his crew?! Sorry, lass, you're not like the pest I deal with daily!"

"You're right, I'm worse." The afro-haired woman said, passing by the girls and putting a hand on Kairi's shoulder, "Give me five minutes and we can talk." A couple of pirates rushed at her, cutlasses raised… and both were immediately smashed with the same hook to the face, sending them flying back! Three Shadows jumped from the ground to claw at her, and were kicked away just as the other two pirates fell on the sea.

Kairi and Tigerlily gaped while Tinkerbell could only rub her eyes, " _She's definitely not a normal girl, is she even human?!_ " Tinkerbell thought out loud.

The tall woman nodded, "Name's Garnet… and give me two minutes." Another pirate rushed at her, sharing the same fate as his companions when an upper-cut broke his blade and most likely fractured his jaw. Garnet then turned to Hook, "We've both said a lot of things the other didn't like, so I'll give you a chance to leave us alone. I do not like hurting humans, but try and harm someone and…"

She walked to the nearest rock on the sand, and casually punched it so hard it split in two. Seeing the pirates start to retreat and the Heartless keep their distance from the towering female warrior should have been enough of a hint to get out of dodge. Hook, on the other hand, couldn't stand watching his subordinates fear someone and run away when what he needed and wanted was right in front of him: two princesses.

"I know what you're thinking." Garnet said, making him madder, "And like I said, I don't like hurting humans, but that doesn't mean I'm afraid to throw a punch if someone hurts another. Also…" she turned to the girls, "Make it five minutes again."

Garnet rushed while the pirates and the Heartless attacked, the sword wielding dark beings tried to cut her down with their Daos, only to see her flip over them, kick one in the head and backhand another. A pirate took aim at her back, pulling the trigger to see her just casually backhand the bullet, reflecting it and making it hit the water after it flew past the pirate's head, who fainted after his pants got wetter.

Even more enraged, Hook hollered, "I want those gems on her hands after you cut them off, I'll have them for rings!" from behind him two large Heartless appeared, these ones being dressed in purple vests with ballooning blue pants, with long muscular arms, and striped bandanas. As if that weren't enough, they had wings on their backs and looked ready to start a fight.

They flew right a Garnet… who merely stood where she was with her right fist on her hip, "Oh no, you don't you brutes!" said another female voice as a very beautiful spear flew through the air and nailed the Heartless, killing them instantly. The light blue blade was in a spiral shape save for the tip, and the white handle made it akin to a naginata. The owner was as elegant and eccentric as she leapt down from a tree to retrieve her weapon from the sand with great grace.

She was very thin and far smaller than the other woman in many regards, but oddly cute in her own way. Her skin was pale as the moon, her hair an orange shade that was shaped like a cone, and her nose was like a bird's beak. She moved with grace, wearing a blue shirt-skirt combo with a bow on her back, shorts that matched her hair, and ballerina shoes. She even bowed gracefully upon landing before twirling her spear. What was weird was that, on her forehead, was a very large pearl fused to it not like an accessory but a part of her being.

"Garnet, have you found Steven and Connie?!" she panicked, all grace lost as the look of a mother worried sick for her child spread on her features, "You didn't say anything, you just rushed after we arrived to this world and-" she looked at the girls and the pirates, slowly putting the pieces together, "Oh… I see. Well then." She put a serious face on, all worries put aside to fight, "Let's make Rose proud."

Hook snapped, "Can't anyone get anything done in here?!"

More Heartless appeared, these ones were shaped like ships but were actually boat-sized, with helicopter blades on the masts to keep them afloat. They aimed tiny cannons at the two warrior women, while Garnet remained as casual as when she expected her friend to arrive. Her friend looked ready to battle more, but saw the larger woman's attitude and lowered her spear slightly, just not enough to let her guard down.

"What did I miss?" said a third voice as a black whip with purple gems acting as spikes and weights at the end wrapped around one of the flying Heartless.

"The gang's all here." Garnet said as the Heartless was smashed to the ground by the tiniest of the odd women.

She was about Kairi's height at best, had a white ragged top that showed a purple gem on her chest, and black tight pants. She was rather pudgy but not in a way that seemed to hinder her mobility as she raced to the others' side. What was most notable was that she had purple skin and a mane of hair of a lighter shade which was so long a bang covered one of her eyes while the rest nearly touched the ground. Clutched tightly in her hand was the handle of her whip, and she surprised others by putting a hand near the gem on her chest to pull out another with a flash of light.

"So, where're Steven and Connie? You didn't come here to see the beach, it's almost the same like home except it has more trees." She told Garnet.

"I don't know…" the tall woman said, "When we were traveling words it was like something pushed me here… Once we arrived, I saw the possibilities, and thus, here we are… fighting pirates."

"A bit like old times." The purple head chuckled.

"Amethyst, this is no time for jokes, they're using Heartless." The pale one said sternly.

"Whatevs, Pearl, we can take them all down." Amethyst said with a grin.

The pirate captain stepped back, "What are these apparitions?! Are they some sort of curse from this island?!" he sneered at the girls, "This battle isn't over, so swears I, Captain James Hook! One of the many curses and oaths that I shall throw out at you is that I'll get you back for this, and you better pray the mermaids at the lagoon find that Wendy girl before I do."

He ran off, but not without a plan hatching in his head. Yes, he'd have those gems decorating his rapier, and the redhead's heart ready for Maleficent to use. If one thing could be said about him, was that he was cunning, something Kaguya appreciated even if the man lacked the power of her other puppets.

"Pfft, was he really trying to sound cool?" Amethyst asked before turning to the girls, waving, "S'up girl? What's with that big Key ya got? Do you whack those Heartless pests with it like some axe or what?"

"Amethyst, be polite." Pearl said in a stern tone before her features softened towards the girls, "Do forgive her, she has never seen a Keyblade before."

"And she will need it." Garnet said seriously, walking to the two girls and the fairy, "That guy didn't say that just as a means of venting his anger, he has a trap set for us."

"Who… are you girls?" Kairi asked in awe.

"Oh dear me, introductions!" Pearl panicked before coughing into her fist, "Apologies. We are Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl, and we are the Crystal Gems." She said, motioning to her companions and then herself, "But to find a Keyblade warrior… Are the worlds worse than we thought?"

Garnet hummed, "They always were a mess even before we Gems were created."

"It's more fun that way, so, who're you, guys?" Amethyst asked with a large grin as she approached Kairi and Tinkerbell, eyeing them closely, "You're so small and you use a key to fight. You're amazingly weird!"

" _Uh, thanks_?" Tinkerbell said slowly.

Amethyst beamed, "No problem, it makes me glad to not be the shortest girl around."

" _You can hear me too?!_ "

"Yeah, why? Am I supposed not to?" Amethyst asked calmly.

Pearl spoke up, "Well, it's not easy but we do try to learn a few languages, though some are naturally known to a few of us."

"So I'm fluent in bell speech? Sweet!"

"No tact…" Tigerlily said slowly as she watched Amethyst cheer before turning to Kairi, "What you do?"

Kairi shook her head, "I know I should find Sora… but I also know he'd be disappointed if I didn't help someone who needed it, I'd be disappointed in myself too." She looked down and sighed, "I guess I'll visit that lagoon and see if Wendy really is there."

Pearl gasped, "You can't be serious! You're walking literally into his plans! You-"

Garnet put a hand on the pale woman's shoulder, "She's made her mind, and you need no future vision to know we'd help her."

Pearl sighed, "You're right, Steven wouldn't like us to overlook a human in distress either."

"Hey, it's round two for Chinny Nosehair. Let's give him what he wants." Amethyst cheered, slamming a fist into her palm.

Kairi smiled, she… actually liked these odd Gems.

 **BREAK DOWN!**

 _I won't hurt you, my child!_

 **STOP BEING SO ARROGANT AND FIGHT!**

 _Even if you despise me, I'll still love you!_

 **YOU'RE NOTHING OF MINE!**

Meanwhile, as shown by the furious exchange, there was chaos in the realm where Light and Darkness met Naruto at. Both deities were keeping intense eye-contact, the Light trying to stay strong while the Darkness tried to burn her with her glare. The blonde woman was down on one knee, panting hard while her light barrier remained strong. The Darkness was in better shape but she was getting tired too. All around her small body large dark arms clawed at the shield, slowly breaking it only for the embodiment of light to fix it as quickly.

"Damn you! Still as stubborn as ever! Just give up, I'll make sure you enjoy watching your children get the punishment they deserve!" the tiny one growled.

The Light held on, " _I won't ever strike you, my child, but I won't let you harm that girl. She's a precious friend of your king, after all…_ " she smiled at the end, making the dark girl snap.

"Shut up, he needs me and my children, no one else!" she said as more dark arms appeared, pummeling the barrier and getting it to crack enough for a spike of darkness to shoot in.

" _I can't hurt you, my child_ …" The Light said weakly and leapt to the side, summoning her strength once again to close the hole the little girl made and keep her at bay once again, " _Ventus still needs his friends, but Kairi's bond with Sora allowed her to see the other heart that was forced to rest inside of him because of Xehanort. She saw bits of him because Ventus, Terra and Aqua still yearn to see each other… and my champion and yours will set them free._ " She tried to look strong, but she knew she wouldn't last long.

And her words made the Darkness see red, "My king doesn't need them! Just like they didn't need you! All you did was make them your puppets!" A particularly hard punch from a dark arm had the embodiment of light gasp as she fell to her knees, which made the Darkness grin.

" _My child…_ " the Light gasped as she felt her remaining strength leaving her.

The dark girl reared back a fist and raced to the barrier, and easily shattered it with a single punch while cackling madly, "I've waited too long to see you this defenseless!" she laughed when the blonde woman fell back with her shattered barrier falling around her, "You really won't hurt me? Don't make me laugh! This realm and its stupid law were meant to be broken! You'd rather follow those stupid rules than saving your champions? Who's the joke now?!"

Her words were emphasized by her bringing up an arm, a dark limb shooting up from under the Light and making her fly back while the Darkness grinned, until seeing the woman still had strength in her, " _We should never mess with them, but you forced me… You who contacted your champion know nothing of what you could unleash. I do feel sorry for all the pain I caused you, my child, but I cannot allow you to cause pain on others. After all, we've fought like this too often, having our children hate each other because of us._ "

"What're you even saying…?" the Darkness asked with a sneer, "It's your fault that my children can't enjoy warmth or comfort, because yours left them in the cold of their shadows until I was born! They chose me as their mother… and I will make sure you suffer far worse than they have! For the chances you've stolen from them, I will make you scream when that precious light of yours becomes my king's first meal!"

The Light got up, struggling to her feet, " _I accept your hate, but… I can't leave my kids alone._ " She moved forward, shocking the Darkness when several light orbs appeared around her, " _Strike me as you wish, my child, but know we are unable to be without the other. I will have to lock you up for now._ "

The Darkness' eyes widened as the spheres erupted and became enormous light pillars, walls surrounding her much to her shock and anger, "You… You bitch! You had this planned all along?!" she sneered as more dark arms appeared around her, shooting from the ground and punching the barrier with the strength needed to make it crack, "I'm sick of your games! I finally found my true king, and you won't stop me!"

The Light stood her ground while the little girl kept punching her barrier, " _I love all of my children, but some use my power and gifts to harm others. Even I cannot support them for such cruelty… I was once like that, and I never forgave myself for losing… you…_ "

The fight kept on intensifying as shadows and rays clashed, "You don't have the right to talk of myself or my own children after that…" she finally snapped and broke down the barrier, making the older woman fall to her knees, "You could have stopped them but decided to play favorites!" she dashed at the blonde woman who brought up her arms to protect herself, "So why shouldn't I protect those that need me?!"

Whatever she may have wanted to say next was cut off as someone else arrived. A single swing cut the very surface of the air asunder, a blade that had not been wielded by its master in over a thousand years. Radiant golden light burnt the Darkness' skin, making her howl in fury, her true form revealed and glaring hatefully at the one who had saved her mother.

"Thousand apologies milady, it's been a very long time since I, or this sword have protected you. It was worth it however, to see you with mine eyes once again."

Clad in silver boots and fingerless gauntlets, golden knee pads, a blue cape, a red armored chest piece with a dragon insignia, a golden crown with a red jewel inlaid into it, the man was the very image of a king. His brown hair and beard, greying at the middle with the dignified sign of a wise king, gave him an image of not just a ruler, but that of a true leader.

Wielding a glimmering sword, inlaid with runes that spoke of the true king of Light, his determined smile lightened when his cape moved, and out from behind him stepped a small young woman.

"The King had to take a very small detour to find me again." She said with a bright yet slightly animal like smile, showing off her large front teeth.

The Light smiled, " _Indeed, for you are his oldest companion and the one who he loved before the Queen, and loved above her._ "

The woman appeared much younger than the man himself, but carried herself with a feral dignity and grace that showed she was as much a fighter as the king. She was clad in a brilliant red dress that went down to her bare feet, with a long flowing yellow scarf around her neck, a short sword of her own, modeled after the King's. Crimson hair went down in a messy style around her head, and her two nut brown eyes which granted her the name her king had chosen.

"Hazel the Knight of Squirrels, and the King Arthur Pendragon, at your loyal service milady." She offered with a small bow, the Darkness seething with hatred.

"You filthy sow! You dare call upon these wretches… AND A FALSE KING?!" The Darkness hated Arthur as much as any child of the Light, perhaps more so due to his nature as the First King of Light. And the one that had caused her no end of frustration.

"Merlin was right, she's devoted to whoever she chose as her king to bring that old nickname up." Arthur said, remembering the blue clad mage's clearly. "I shall pray that this boy he trusts in, Sora, can face this new dark king…" he readied himself for battle while the shadows started to consume the light around him.

His lady held the blonde woman up, one of her hands glowing green to aid her with healing magic, "Hang in there, please, your children will need your light the most now."

The blonde woman was silent, and smiled softly at the squirrely lady before her eyes were shut… and soon Hazel found the reason. In her attempts to stop the Darkness without hurting her child, her concern and guilt had won. The color on the woman's skin and hair, as well as her heavenly glow, were starting to vanish while the Darkness cackled.

"You know what this means, boy? No matter what that second rate mage may have taught you, or what Yen Sid could muster in his prime, when one of us falls the other has free reign."

Arthur nodded while looking at her dead in the eye, "But you two cannot die, for you are truly light and darkness. One cannot live without the other. Although you may have more control over the worlds now it doesn't mean I will stand down and do nothing."

The little girl giggled, "You think I fear a sword a small bug pulled out as a mere child? Sacred or not, you said it yourself." two pillars of darkness shot up behind her, taking the form of gigantic arms, "I can't die."

 **I**

 **SHALL**

 **TAKE**

 **THIS**

 **REALM**

 **FOR**

 **YOU**

 **MY**

 **KING**

And as that went on, Kairi did her best to keep on going in a strange world.

"Nice place, could use a slide." Amethyst pointed out with a smirk.

After beating back Captain Hook and his goon squad, Kairi and her new companions found themselves wandering into the Mermaid Lagoon. Despite Tinkerbell's best efforts in persuading Kairi and the Gems otherwise, they went off to meet with the mermaids. Sitting down at a pool of water, her delicate feet being dipped into the soothing springs, Kairi sighed in bliss while Tinkerbell sat on her palm.

She was pouting up a storm, of course. " _Why do we need to wait here to find that air-brained girl? She isn't even here."_ Tinkerbell muttered out.

"I can't really walk away when someone needs help," she said, a brief flash of her meeting with Sora crossing her mind as she mumbled to herself, "I know how it feels to want someone to reach you out."

Tinkerbell heard her and looked away, crossing her arms under her breasts, " _If you care so much, I can help you find her. You'd do me a favor getting her out._ "

Kairi merely chuckled softly, "Well I'm sure we'll find Wendy."

Suddenly a mermaid with deep blonde hair and a very gorgeous face splashed up near Kairi, giggling at the red headed girl, "Hello! I couldn't help but overhear you… You're looking for a girl with brown hair and a blue dress, right?" she smiled, "Well, I know that Peter introduced us to her, but she was so rude! She didn't even want to swim with us! She wasn't even into the water!" She said with a sigh.

Kairi looked at the mermaid with a small frown, "Well maybe she just wasn't dressed for it. We humans have to wear certain clothing or go naked to swim really. We're not as skilled at this as you mermaids are." Her words made the giggling mermaid look somewhat more thoughtful.

She swam to the edge of the lagoon where Kairi was, then flopped her tail up onto the shore, comparing it while laying on her back to Kairi's feet, "True… you humans are hardly suited for swimming. You're so awkward with your weird little legs." She said as she adjusted herself again, bracing her chin on her arms as she stared up at Kairi.

"The entire races does live their entire lives on land." Pearl said calmly, "But I never thought I'd see a mermaid, I always believed they were in Connie's storybooks."

"We're very real, thank you!" The mermaid beamed before humming, "You're all really unlike that girl or any human… Maybe we could make a deal. We could have some fun and I can get you to her."

Garnet adjusted her shades, "She's telling the truth."

"How do you know, Garnet?" Pearl asked calmly.

"I don't need to see the future to see what'll happen if she double crosses us or tries to pull a prank on us…" the mermaid stiffened as the Gem looked at her when saying that, "She's a good girl, right?"

The other three turned to the mermaid, who chuckled nervously, "N-No, of course I wouldn't… throw water on you… or force you to swim anywhere you didn't want to."

"That's what I thought." Garnet said calmly.

Kairi smiled, that kind of tactic worked wonders when she needed to stop Sora and Riku from fighting. As a girl she didn't like to be manipulative, but she knew she had to stop them from breaking too many trees. The memory did sting a bit as she recalled the fun she had, and wanted to see them again. Steeling herself for whatever could happen so she could finally achieve her simple but heartfelt goals, she walked forward.

"How is this going to go?" Kairi asked, "Do you have a boat that can fit all of us?"

"Nothing of the sort, you just need to follow us using your friend's dust." She pointed to the fairy like it was the most natural thing to say.

Everyone stared blankly at her and then at Tinkerbell, "Are you… right in the head- Ow!" Amethyst started to say until Pearl elbowed her.

"I'm sure there's an explanation." The pale Gem said while turning to Tinkerbell, who nodded.

The mermaid swam into the water, motioning for the other four women to follow her, "It's not an easy flight, so you may want to hold on to one another. One has to know the currents to move, but with fairy dust you can…" She said until a sudden burst of darkness startled her, the mermaid shrieked in terror as did others that had been nearby at the lagoon.

"The Dark Ones! The Dark Ones are here!" Heartless emerged out of the water, pirate ships flying into the air, water dripping from their hulls, their cannons bristled towards Kairi who leaped to her feet.

Her Keyblade was quickly summoned, "Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst!" The Crystal Gems ran towards her, having been dipping themselves in the water.

Their weapons instantly appeared as Pearl took a protective stance in front of the red headed girl, her expression turning serious yet gentle. "I suppose I can give you a little hands on training with your sword… er, well Keyblade… Watch and follow my instructions, dear!"

She whirled into an elegant ballerina like spin, her blade singing through the air and perforating a Heartless through its emblem. The creature looked surprised or as surprised as a heartless could look, then erupted into a dark explosion

"Like this?" Kairi leaped into the air, her Keyblade slicing a Heartless completely in two with a quick swing of her weapon, making it erupt into a heart that flew away and past her. Flipping acrobatically she landed down on the ground in a slight stumble, her hand pressed against the earth before Garnet helped her up.

"Ten points for the execution, two away for the landing. Overall an A. Needs work though." Garnet told her with a soft shake of her head, Kairi smiling despite herself.

"Thanks Garnet, you too Pearl. Still new to this Keyblade warrior thing you know…"

Pearl gave off a somewhat nervous chuckle, "Well, time and practice makes perfect, and we'll get plenty of the second with these ones."

Amethyst fake-yawned, "Come on, P, these guys will put anyone to snore. I bet you one of your fancy swords against my best trash that he's beaten bigger ones than these." She said before casually flipping over a sword wielder Heartless' swing, before falling down on it with her elbow to make it disappear.

" _Let me help!_ " Tinkerbell said, flying at high speeds around the women before shouting, " _Now think happy thoughts, come on!_ "

Startled, the four were about to speak until the flying ship Heartless flew higher to remain away from them. Learning that all worlds would be weird from day one, Kairi closed her eyes as did the Gems. Images flashed in her mind of her painting cave walls with Sora, seeing him spar with Riku, and feeling pride at seeing him help a blond stranger. The Gems only had one happy thought in mind: Steven's smile.

And upon opening their eyes, Amethyst was the loudest to voice her thoughts, "Wow-ow! This is amazing!" she cheered, floating in the air before flipping back.

"This is certainly delightful, or would be more if there weren't Heartless around." Pearl said with a small smile at the start before narrowing her eyes at the dark beings.

Garnet smashed her gauntlets together, "All right, let's kick their equivalents of a butt."

Kairi looked at the sand feet away from her shoes, and then at the stars. With a bright grin she darted into the skies before aiming her Keyblade at the Heartless, "Fair's fair, boys! Let's do this!"

Amethyst flew at her side, leaning on one of her shoulders with a grin matching the Cheshire Cat's, "Hey, K, wanna do something cool?" she didn't wait for an answer, she used her whip like a lasso to wrap it around a shocked Kairi, much to the currently screaming redhead's worries, before spinning her around, "Round and round you… GO!"

Pearl couldn't even mutter a word at what she saw, but Kairi saw what her purple friend wanted her to do when she was thrown straight to the flying Heartless. Clutching the Keyblade with both hands, she flew right at it and, spinning her body like a deadly tornado of blades before cutting it down with a swift, clean sword slash. She stopped her flying thanks to the fairy dust, and looked back to see the Heartless vanish.

Amethyst gave her a thumb up before one of the gargoyle pirate Heartless tried to sneak behind her and punch her. A beam of bluish white light made the creature vanish, and she saw an upset Pearl looking at her with narrowed eyes, "Next time, don't make up attacks out of nowhere with new allies."

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Amethyst said with her smile still in place.

"Only this one time, the others would have had you two smack your faces on the ground." Garnet said as she did a little boxing with the other winged pirates.

The result from her previous pirate boxing session repeated itself, only that she added a little kickboxing to it. A right hook had one fly down to the ground and its body turn into darkness, a left jab had another crash into two more, destroying them, and an axe kick nailed one that tried to fly at her from below to strike her. A pirate ship took aim and fired at her, which she replied by kicking their cannonballs back.

Getting an idea, Amethyst lassoed the projectiles and smirked at Pearl, "Hey P! Let's play some baseball!" she swung the cannonballs over her head and Pearl actually smiled back, holding her spear like a bat.

"Kairi, you're up!" Pearl said and the girl nodded, flying higher when Amethyst released the projectiles. Pearl swung with all her might, sending them at Kairi who brought her Keyblade above her head and smashed the heavy iron balls down on the flying ship.

"This is getting fun!" the Keyblade user cheered.

Pearl flew at her side, "Now, now, dear, the battle may be won, but we still have to keep a cool head about it."

The redhead rubbed the back of her head, "True, we have to help Wendy, and… wait, where's Amethyst?"

It was then that all three noticed Amethyst wasn't with them, something that made a small tick mark pop over Pearl's face while Kairi looked confused, Garnet helpfully supplied her with some information, "She sometimes does that. She's probably distracted…"

Pearl snapped when she saw Amethyst staring at something past a bush. Stomping over furiously to give her a piece of her mind, actually all the pieces as she was near apoplectic with fury. That is until she saw her comrade's face, it wasn't amused or pleasant or any of its other distracted face variations. She memorized at least seventy-eight different faces Amethyst had when distracted.

What she saw on her comrade's face was disgust. Pure and simple disgust. Something that went beyond mere anger, what she was looking at was enough to fill even her with contempt.

"Amethyst what are you…" She looked past the bushes, then her face gained the same expression of disgust.

Garnet and Kairi walked over to them curiously, then they looked forward, Kairi clapped a hand to her mouth in horror, while Garnet's normally expressionless look became a deep frown, her glasses dipping down to reveal a look of utter fury. In front of them, was what could be described as the epitome of a sociopathic and sadistic game. Flying and darting around a large cage made of sticks, armed with a knife and blind folded, was a jeering green clothed boy with red hair and a green cap which had a red feather on it.

Inside the cage was a Heartless, a simple Shadow being tortured. Every time he shot past it, he would slice it across its arm, many different cuts all over its body. All the while the creature was unable to escape, attack, or defend itself. Even for a Heartless, this was unnecessarily cruel.

And it wasn't helped by a group of children, clad in animal outfits, who cheered the boy on, "GO PETER! KILL THAT SCARY EVIL THING! Just like good ole Ven used to kill those scary monsters from before!"

"That is far enough! Stop torturing that poor creature!" Kairi stepped out first, her Keyblade held up and pointed at the crowing Peter Pan.

The boy stopped what he was doing with a confused stare, unable to even grasp why she and the three women who followed her out were fuming mad at him. The heartless itself had bundled up into a small ball, trembling out of fear and pain, its yellow eyes shut tight.

"Why?" his question, innocent in tone and yet weirdly without empathy made her stare at him, "It's just a monster. A stupid dark thing like the ones that attacked Neverland a while back. Why shouldn't I do this? Pay it back for everything it's done to this world?"

His reasoning was childish, so naïve it made her sick to her stomach, it was like he wasn't even aware what he did was wrong. "You… really don't get it, do you?"

She slowly extended her Keyblade, Peter flipping his knife around to face her while he gained a smug little grin, "Oho? You want a fight, do you? Well I can do that! Might be nice to fight someone who can fight back for once! I usually fight that old codfish, but you'll do just nicely!"

"Fine by me!" she growled, holding her weapon with both hands, which had him grin wider.

"Heck, let's make it more interesting!" His words gave Kairi a sense of trepidation, as did his wicked little smile. "If you win, I'll let it go. If I win… you need to be our mother! That is, me and the Lost Boys! You'll tell us stories, cook and clean for us, and be there to tuck us into bed at night!"

"You don't want a mother; you want a servant!" Pearl shouted, her anger rising as did her spear which she aimed at the redhead.

Kairi ground her teeth, the boy was so self-centered it was making her miss the times Sora and Riku got cocky… And that gave her an idea, one that made it hard to contain a smile, but she managed, "Sure, but when this is all over, you'll answer to me." then she allowed herself to smile, "Though, really, I have to wonder how good you are fighting when you fly all around. Also, fighting someone that didn't fight back…"

Peter's smile vanished, replaced with a frown, "You're not calling me weak, are you?"

Kairi smiled in the playful way she did when Sora gave her an opening for a joke or prank, "Nope, I'm just calling you chicken. After all, you fly all around to avoid getting hit like a chicken would like to do."

"Ow! Nice burn from the Big K!" Amethyst cheered with her hands up.

Garnet smiled and put a hand on Pearl's shoulder when the pale woman was about to try to stop Kairi, "She's got this."

Pearl nodded slowly as Peter scowled, "Then I won't fight during this whole fight. I'll even fight you with a hand to my back to show you who's the chicken!" he even put a hand to his back.

Tinkerbell flew forward, " _Peter, stop this! This is insane! This girl wants to find Wendy, and she could be in danger! Hook is after her too!_ "

Peter didn't hear what she said but could tell what she meant with her hand motions, "Wendy? Well, I'll just beat this girl real quick and get to her before the codfish. It won't be that hard."

Tinkerbell angrily stomped on air, while Kairi nodded at her, "Don't worry, we'll find her no matter what. But right now I have to stop him." She narrowed her eyes at the boy, "However, Tinkerbell is right, you should have stopped this." She said before flying right at Peter, grinning as the boy yelped when trying to parry her Keyblade singlehandedly, "Feeling a little regret?" Sora really rubbed off on her.

Peter growled and tried to push her back, stepping back a bit to try to slice her only to see her fly up, "Hey, no fair! You're the one flying!"

"I never said anything about me not flying!" she quipped, making the green clad boy gasp in realization before yelping again when she flew down at him with her Keyblade in both hands, diving at high speeds.

Peter brought up his dagger to stop the blow, but the speed and Kairi's weight gave her the strength needed to push his arm back and make the flat side of her weapon smack the boy on the head. In a split second he had fallen down on his knees, and the next his face hit the ground while unconsciousness left him.

Pearl couldn't hold herself, she pumped her arms with a wide grin, "Good job!" she felt strange… somewhat familiar… What she had seen Kairi do for a living being seen as weaker by someone made the pale woman feel nostalgic.

When it was over the Lost Boys raced to their fallen leader before looking at the blue-eyed girl, "She's… She's really tough and smart." Said a boy clad in fox fur.

"But Peter never loses…" one in bear fur said, just as shocked as the others.

The Princess of Heart narrowed her eyes at them, "Alright guys, I won, so keep your end of the deal. Let the poor little one go." As one all the boys nodded and let the Heartless go.

The small critter twitched its head from one side to the other before focusing its eyes on her, and holding its claws together like it were fidgeting, "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you or let these guys do you harm."

It stared and, slowly, dared to inch closer to her, stretching a claw until Tinkerbell appeared, " _Hey, you're free! You can go now!_ " she said, albeit feeling too confused. On the one hand, Kairi beat Peter, but on the other the Heartless before her and the others didn't seem like the average one.

Kairi did something that shocked her friends, she held the small critter close, hugging the Shadow to her chest, "It's all right, it's all right…" she said like a mother to her child, smiling at it while the small creature could only stare … and hug her back.

 **WHAT?! WHAT IS THIS FEELING?!**

 _It is her kindness for your child_

 **NO! GET AWAY FROM HER!**

 _Kairi won't harm her_

 **I WON'T LET MY CHILDREN BE TAINTED BY YOU!**

"A… Amazing! Never would I have thought to see someone pacify a Heartless!" Pearl shook, "This girl… she reminds me of…" there was only one child Kairi reminded her of, her son figure.

Garnet nodded, smiling, "Can't wait to see her meet Steven."

However, things were not what they seemed, as a certain triangle was busy spinning his cane, with his only eye glowing in delight, "Oh, kids these days sure know how to have fun. Cutting a guy's hand and feeding it to a beast that will go out of its way to eat him? Genius! Playing around with one of that girl's pets? I'm all up for it! Being close to one of the key figures that pointy eared lady and the bratty queen need? Priceless!"

Around him the world was a different color, for he couldn't enter the world itself. Colors were inverted like the negatives of a photograph, and time itself moved forward, backwards, and stopped just on a whim. A mere thought was all he needed to make reality bend itself to his will. And yet, there was only one thing he needed to enter a world and make it his personal playground to annoy both Light and Darkness.

"What do we do then?" asked a shady figure behind Bill.

He waved around one of his tiny hands, "Play it cool, see what fool bites the bait, and just have fun. After all, that British girl is here like that flying fool's new toy... It's when someone doesn't want to share their toys that we can see their real colors. So!" with a snap of his fingers a small bubble appeared with a girl trapped inside, shrunken to the size of a fist, "Let's see them play their game their way."

The girl had a blue nightgown, brown hair kept in a short curled mane with a blue boy, and adorable blue eyes. She was around Tigerlily's age and had a similar body type, except more fitting of a well-kept girl. Her face had a natural, almost motherly kindness to her with the spark of an amazing imagination hidden in them. However, she couldn't open her eyes, for she was in a deep sleep inside the bubble.

"Tink… Tinker…" she mumbled in her sleep, making Bill chuckle.

"Aw, still want to patch things up with that jealous fairy? This should be good…" his eyes shone gleefully as he held the trapped girl near his eye, "Now who else could I make a bet with…?"

Images flashed in his orb, showing everything and anything in a flash until it stopped to return back to being a normal eye ball. If he had a mouth, he'd be grinning.

 **LIGHT**

 **WILL**

 **FADE**

 **AND**

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **WILL**

 **AWAKEN!**

 **REMEMBER**

 **THAT**

 **CIPHER!**

And that's my rap!

So, one of our big baddies will make his move soon to mess with Kairi, next chapter we'll return to Naruto's party and see how they're handling being near Demona, and we may alternate between both parties. I do like this, to be honest. Sure, I may leave you with more cliffhangers, but I enjoy fleshing things out this way. I want Kairi to be more than Sora's reason to fight.

Anyway, the king is Arthur, but the one from the Disney movie where Kingdom Hearts' Merlin appears. Yes, The Sword in the Stone. And his lady is… the squirrel. Now, before anyone goes crazy, let me say I just felt so sorry for her. It may have been a rodent, but she was so genuinely heartbroken at seeing her crush wouldn't be able to be with her it made me sad as a kid. And I'm not alone. So I did what many others did, I had Merlin give her a human form to be with Arthur. The backstory will be explained as I go on, but that's basically it.

And yes, at the moment the Light is... not doing so well and needs Arthur to keep her alive while the Darkness tries to get more control over the worlds. Remember the whole deal with the first game when more Heartless arrived after Ansem was revealed? Yeah, it'll be that kind of mess with a twist of my own.

Also, a reply to Blaze777 who said I am making Naruto overpowered: I am making Naruto stronger and stronger as I go on for a reason. In Disney and many Square Enix games there are entities that can overkill a planet with a thought. Kefka kills villages for fun, Bill Cipher bends reality like he's paid for it, Kaguya herself pretty much needed only one finger to beat Naruto when she met him, and Hercules can suplex mountains. If I don't give the heroes some powerups, they won't stand much of a chance. And in Kingdom Hearts 2 by the end of the game Sora could slice skyscrapers in the blink of an eye against a guy who could throw them with a wave of his hand while seated on his giant mecha-dragon throne. Trust me, it's not easy to balance power levels when most villains and heroes just kick logic out of the room.

Swordslinger out!


	17. Spooky parties

I OWN NOTHING

And now, back to the main group.

 **CAN**

 **YOU**

 **FEEL**

 **HIS**

 **POWER**

 **? ? ?**

"Boss!"

While Naruto would love to hear that word shouted by children who deeply admired him, never did he think he'd hate the idea. When Lock, Shock, and Barrel stared at him with wide eyes and adoration, he felt ill. Nothing wrong with having their admiration, but after everything they did he felt completely justified to be on the defensive and tell them to their face he didn't trust them. Well, their masks, to be correct.

"I don't want to hear it." He said, holding his hands up before aiming a finger at the trio, "After all you did to my friends, I really should do more than throwing you down a hill."

"Come on, you're the biggest, baddest, meanest guy around town!" Shock said with a smirk.

"You have a terrifying darkness that makes anyone fear you too!" Lock added.

"And you saved us from Mr. Oogie Boogie, so we don't have anyone to turn to." Barrel commented.

His friends smacked him on the head to shut him up while Naruto rubbed his face with one hand, "I miss Konohamaru and his friends, at least they tried to be good kids…"

"We can be good for you, boss!" Shock said.

"Really?!" the other two shouted in shock.

"Of course, if it's for the boss, we will do anything, like playing pranks on bad guys, or kidnap anyone he wants to be kidnapped." That made Naruto turn to Demona, who had the same sour expression as him but for different reasons. The geas she used on the kids was working and they didn't spill any of her secrets, but the way they acted around her king wasn't making her happy.

"You ought to teach them to respect you as their leader by having them bow to you, after all… those like them need to learn how to obey orders." She tried not to word it the way she would have in a different scenario, where she'd say he should have them as slaves, the kind that get thirty lashes across the buttocks for not kissing the floor he walks on.

"They remind me of Onion, they just need… some really good friends." As always, Steven was the closest to a saint in the group.

"For starters, they should make up for what they did." Naruto commented, turning to Jack.

The skeleton nodded, "I couldn't agree more, however, having them doing what one wants even if it's as difficult as cleaning burn marks of a good scarecrow costume…" he pondered while ignoring the confused stares everyone but the natives gave him, "I could look after them for you and tell you of their deeds."

"Sounds good." The blond gave him a thumb up before turning to his… underlings… He didn't want to get used to the idea, but he also didn't want them kidnapping women again, "You three heard him, right? Jack will tell me what you've done, and as your boss I'll see if it's to my liking or not. And if you don't follow orders, I'll make you wish you had been Oogie's lunch…" he emphasized that with a dark lightning bolt in his hand, which he fired to the nearest tree, splitting it in half with a black burn where it was hit.

The three shuddered but nodded, "G-Got it, boss!"

"Good, so, Jack…" he turned to the skeleton again, "Have I made you change your mind?"

The girls were about to ask what he meant, but Jack answered too quickly, "After what I've seen, I'm far more eager to see what I can do to control the Heartless myself! Why, if what you do with the little one is any indication, then with my own dance group I could improvise on the spot! It'd never have a dull moment!"

Everyone could only stare in disbelief at the skeleton's eagerness, "I think he took your crown, King of Stubborn Ones." Steven told the blond.

Naruto groaned, massaging his temples with a claw, "I've half a mind to just smack him stupid, and the other…" he blinked and an idea formed in his head, "Actually… Care to keep our deal? Let's see how good you are at training Heartless, Jack."

"What?!" his friends asked, Demona more excited than she intended. Had her future king finally seen the darkness?

He nodded, and the jolly skeleton nearly bounced in glee, "You would help me?"

"Yeah, if you can keep Shada's attention away from me, then you can control Heartless." He wagged a finger in the air, and the tiny, bunny-like Heartless swiftly jumped to nibble it with cute, purring sounds.

Jack smiled, hands on his hips and a jolly smile on his face, "A little one like this shouldn't be so much trouble. Shada, right? I've got something for you, girl." He moved a hand into his coat and pulled out, much to the otherworldly visitors' shock - minus Demona – a rib. It was the actual bone, and he just moved it for the Heartless to see like it was a treat. Everyone expected it to hurt him, but remembering what kind of world they were in the more Jack tried to get Shada's attention, the more they accepted things could get creepier.

It came as no surprise that Shada remained blissfully chewing on her creator's finger while her feet dangled in the air, "She isn't letting go of my claw." Naruto taunted Jack with a cheeky grin.

Unfazed, the skeleton put on a serious face, his rib back on its place, and a hand on his chin, "I can see it is fond of you despite it being tame, but!" he pulled out a black and orange spiral-shaped lollipop. In a split second, half of it was missing and Shada was on the ground, her mouth trying to suck the entire candy while her cheeks stretched like rubber. Since the lollipop was twice her face's size, it made her face look like a flying saucer with eyes and antennae.

Naruto gasped, stepping back, "Dammit, he's good, but I made Shada." He said the last part determined and whistled, getting the female Heartless' attention, "Come on, girl, come back to Papa. We got to travel to a few more worlds." It stared at him, and back at Jack, and then back at her maker, "Ok, we can stay a bit more time if you want more candy."

Tiny claws swiftly hugged the blond, who chortled at his creation's enthusiasm. Jack sighed in defeat, "I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I guess you won. I didn't get her attention, it was the candy."

Alice was surprised, "You admit defeat? I thought…"

Jack shrugged sheepishly, "What can I say? After a bad incident I had to learn when to give up on some ideas."

The party felt bad for Jack, he could try to smile, but they knew he was disappointed for not getting his wish. Demona, on the other hand decided to wait. She watched the wretched humans leave her lord to do their own thing while he and his Heartless looked for candy with his new lackeys' help. Alice had gone to practice her swordsmanship with the other girls giving her pointers while Steven joined Naruto in the candy hunt. The gargoyle woman just had to see Jack walk slowly towards a house and, after seeing that the ragdoll woman wasn't around him, approached him.

"You're not going to give up on an idea as fantastic as the one you had, are you?" she asked innocently enough.

Jack was about to enter his house, a hand on the doorknob, but turned to her, "I'd rather not, but seeing how hard it'd be to tame the only docile Heartless and with the current deadline, I need to check up on my back up plans." He sighed, pulling the door open but stopping when hearing her speak again.

"Beings of darkness like us are naturally linked to the darkness. Who is to say the great Pumpkin King cannot summon the power of his own darkness?" she smiled, "You're a good enough fighter and have a great ambition. Giving up is the one way to lose to yourself, after all. So why don't I teach you a few tricks of mine to understand your own darkness. Who knows what you could do in the presence of one such as Naruto?"

He stared at her with hardened eyes, "So… I wasn't imagining it… Yes, when I first saw him I knew I was drawn to him for something other than his potential to terrorize. There was something, like a dark, chilling entity dormant. It was as if I was staring at the greatest potential of fear in this world. Like, he could terrify even me. But…" he chuckled, "I'm happier having him as the friend I met today, someone that I felt wanted to protect those around him. Yes, I do believe having a friend like that is far more precious than a good scare."

While inwardly alarming that he wasn't acting like she wanted him to, Demona wasn't a woman without plans, "A friend whose power you could learn to mimic."

That touched Jack's curiosity, "Mimic? I'd rather be original, as the performer I am there is no way I could stand the sight of myself if I copied anyone's tricks, I never repeat my own."

She nodded, resisting the urge to sigh tiredly, "Then I can teach you to make your own brand of darkness. After all, I would like to enjoy a good show along him while we're both around."

Jack smiled, "Ah, a good incentive! Or just emotional blackmailing?" he cheekily asked before snickering, "No matter, you had my attention from the start. Do tell, Demona, what is on your mind?"

Quite the sinister smile would have been seen if she didn't have any self-control, which she had to some extent.

"Now… Call upon the darkness, manifest it, and control it… Meld it into Heartless. Feel the hunger and desire of your own heart, and make it into theirs." Demona urged Jack, her tone keeping its level instructions even as she forcibly resisted the urge to make her eyes glow blood red.

"Meld it… Form it… What do I desire?" Jack looked into his own heart, something Demona intended for all along. Her face barely holding back its fanged grin of sinister delight as a dark aura came over the skeleton's body… "I… desire… to…!" As the darkness came over him, three indistinct blobs formed in the air, a feeling of oppressive dark weighing down on Jack's heart. Her eyes couldn't hold back anymore, a pure evil glow illuminated Jack's slack expression with her evil desires. "I desire… to… give…"

Slowly the blobs begun to take shape, shivering and trembling in an eerie fashion. Their forms became awash with darkness, as Jack seemed to become consumed with his own heart's deepest desires, the selfish ones that shackled him to his darker self. And just as he was about to reply, someone else did for him. Demona smirked as she saw her tiny mistress step out with a triumphant smirk.

"That's good, my child…" she cooed to the skeleton, floating with her head beside his, "With the Light dormant and her minions trying to awaken her… you can do as you desire…"

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **. . .**

 **MEET**

 **YOUR**

 **JESTER**

"So, everyone's ready to leave?" Naruto asked his friends, who nodded.

"I'll miss the extra muscle, though." Steven said, flexing his green arms.

"I won't miss the lack of legs." Jasmine hissed, though slightly involuntarily.

"Stitch miss candy…" the blue critter said with buckets of sweets under his arms, one labeled for himself and the other for Lilo.

"I just hope the next world won't force us to change as much." Alice whispered, though she didn't know what the future held.

Naruto was about to open the Dark Corridor, but stopped dead in his tracks, his hand reaching for his horned head. Terra immediately followed, falling to her knees and clutching her head with both hands. Worried, their allies ran to them, puzzled at the sudden change. Groaning, the blond stood up, panting slightly as he felt like a million voices were whispering to him. Dark words crossed his mind, and the way Terra looked about to collapse said she was feeling the same.

"My mind…" Terra cried, tears falling down her cheeks, "Leave… Leave my mind alone!" she screamed, her body flashing between her human and Esper form in a split second before settling for her pink form.

For his part, Naruto surprised the others when, for that same split second, his body had been covered by an armor blacker than a thousand midnights. When he returned to normal, he was back to his gargoyle form, panting. His eyes flashed with images of the Darkness, a battle, and the Light sleeping. Two warriors of the benevolent entity had been fighting the embodiment of all that was dark, but that's when it all stopped.

"Light… and Darkness… their balance is breaking…" he grunted before looking at his friends, "Something's definitely wrong here, we have to-"

"You have to what? Keep wandering around without a clear idea of where to go?" asked a voice that no-one wanted to hear after their visit to Agrabah. "Oooh… I like the scales, Princess Jasmine."

Said genie girl flung her hand at the cat woman, Mirage casually swatting a lightning ball aside with a flick of her wrist, "You're the last person I want to see now, especially if you have anything to do with what just happened!" the Arabian princess exclaimed, pulling out the short sword Terra gave her while the others prepared themselves to fight her.

"She's Mirage?" Connie questioned, shaking slightly when looking in her eyes, "She's definitely meaner than mean."

"Oh please, do lower your weapons. I just want to give my beloved boy some information…" she winked at Naruto, who felt tempted to snap his jaws at her and roar like the gargoyle he was, "After all, the Light has sacrificed a lot to give you a hand."

"What do you…? Wait, what am I even asking?" he groaned, holding his forehead with a hand, "Ok, suppose I trust you. What're you getting from this? And what's your point to begin with?"

"Sweet, lovable you is what I get from this, turned into the perfect machine of evil." She purred like a mother cat grooming her kittens, "As for my point, well, I'll let you find out. You see, the Light wanted to keep that bratty girl that wants you as the father of her children from getting the upper hand. She thought the best way to do so would be to break the rules, put herself on the line, and use her powers. She and the Darkness can meddle with other worlds… at the risk of letting the other attack. Now, the Light never hurts he children, no matter who they are, but the brat is a different story."

Gulping, Naruto forced himself to ask, "What was that upper hand, then?"

She smiled, "Someone who gave you light along those two meddlesome brats you're fond of." Seeing his eyes flash with realization widened her smile, "There you go. However, if you want to find her you also have to deal with Kaguya and Maleficent. After this shift in the balance they're not going to be idle either. And the best way to mess with them is to take out those that work for them…"

Alice was getting tired, "And you're telling us this because…"

Mirage leaned back, a hand on her cheek, "I have to wonder how well your friend will be able to do when more darkness means more power for him. I just want my future son to grow up strong, like a real mother should for her child. And seeing you beat that little brat, the bunny, that witch, and any of their minions is a bonus for me." then her eyes shone, "But beware if you find the Triangle Man… I may be pure evil, but he is pure chaos. While he and I want the same, I'd like to see you, my dear boy, come back to your caring, nurturing mother."

He appeared before her in a flash and swung down his sword, hitting nothing but air before cursing, "I really hate that cat!" he had dealt with one as a genin, his first low ranked missions, but Mirage was easily becoming number 2 compared to the one feline he hated the most.

"Flattery will get you nowhere." She purred behind him, smirking before tossing him a compass, "I've made sure that little trinket can point you to that rabbit's pawns. Have fun."

And like that, she just disappeared, "Can this get worse?" Naruto asked. Someone, somewhere, wanted to slap him silly for jinxing it so hard that the universe itself tilted to one side to balance his comment with karma to destroy his attitude.

Demona appeared, flying like the gargoyle she was she had no trouble for what she did next. She skidded to a halt with an injured wing, clutching one arm and gasping, "Naruto, I… I wanted to help him, I really just desired to see another one like us control their darkness, but… but…" she hung her head, afraid that she was so proud of her acting a smile would appear.

Behind her the loud screams of the citizens alerted the group of trouble while the blond reacted out of instinct. He held the gargoyle woman's shoulder with one hand to heal her, and brought out his sword for battle. Everyone was running out of the plaza with looks of terror beyond what they could get out of Halloween. Without a second to waste, they all raced to find out what was going on.

 **FIGHT**

 **YOUR**

 **OWN**

 **BATTLES**

 **FOR**

 **I**

 **SHALL**

 **MAKE**

 **TRAITORS**

 **AND**

 **FOOLS**

 **PAY**

Back in Konoha, Tsunade looked – or rather glared – at the three elders before her. Two of which hated a lot of her and her mentor's decisions, and one that had so many skeletons in his closet he would put any archeological site in shame. The old war hawk known as Danzo hadn't been pleased when hearing that the Jinchuuriki left, and neither were the two with him, but to hear Tsunade didn't stop him…

"Listen, I can tell you'll yell at me once again, so get it over with." The blonde woman said while trying to see if her assistant didn't hide all of her bottles.

Danzo narrowed his eye at her, well, more than usual, "You really take after Sarutobi, looking after the happiness of one instead of that of many."

That was enough for the slug woman to forget her bottle and glare at him, "And I'd advice that you better shut up before saying anything about my sensei or Naruto. The boy finally has friends, people he wants to fight and even die for…" she reached for her neck, the same amulet Naruto gave her resting on it, "After reports of Sasuke at Orochimaru's lair and news that he nearly killed Naruto, a shinobi of our village, I think the kid has the right to fight for someone he cares about after missing for two months. Two months in which he found people to give up his dream for."

"You're being unreasonable, that boy was born here and should return to fulfill his duties as a shinobi." The old lady said dryly.

The other old man scoffed, "If anything, you're defending a selfish brat that threw away his village for total strangers."

Tsunade forcefully laughed, "Total strangers?! Has anyone in this place ever tried to get to know him?!" she glared at them, forcing another laugh, "You… You think you're better than a random kid that tried to be nice to him?! You people actually believe he's entitled to you?! For crying out loud, what I did for him is the least I owe him for proverbially kicking my ass and telling me to do something with my life!"

"Oh wow, it's like you're making my job easier."

The four adults stared in shock and awe as a green-skinned girl with white hair walked in, looking at her yellow gloved hands. Dominator smirked at them, her red eyes shining before snapping her fingers. From the ceiling several of ROOT's best fell, frozen or trapped in solid and somehow non-burning lava. With a wave of her hands, the four people before her had been frozen solid, trapped in ice. Well, Tsunade was for two seconds only. Dominator smirked and ducked under her fist, watching the door fly off… and very far away into the horizon.

"Who're you, brat?!" the voluptuous woman asked, readying her fists while Danzo pondered his next move and what abilities the green skinned girl had.

"So you're my king's last family member, right?" she asked cheekily with a finger aimed at the slug medic, "Darn, any daughter he gets with my queen will make heads turn. Anyway, I was just passing by. You know, nothing but reruns, many worlds I've been to don't have much resistance to pose some challenge, and hey, I heard there're some god wannabes here. I could use some practice beating a couple of those."

"Your… king…" Tsunade said slowly, her eyes flashing with recognition, "Naruto? You know him?"

Dominator shrugged, "Can't say he's my kind yet, sadly. And before you say anything about it…" she shot magma to clamp the elders' mouths shut, "I'll make this clear, so don't let anyone say otherwise. He's strong, like really strong. It's a wonder my queen hasn't claimed him yet, but he remains too powerful for her touch. I mean, woo! I wouldn't mind more guys being that mighty… and blessed…" she sighed dreamily.

Tsunade was getting impatient, "Cut to the chase before I bury you in this building."

Dominator giggled quite cutely, "Oh, would you look at that? You think you can win… Well, you can bet on my king to not fall for my queen's love, but then again, I wouldn't bet on you making it out of what'll happen." She pointed out the window, and everyone watched every single shinobi in Konoha fighting the Heartless and being massively outnumbered by them.

Chouji for his part was doing his best to keep Ino and Shikamaru safe behind him, "Are you sure you can't deal with them?!" he asked while basically sumo wrestling with a Large Body.

Shikamaru ground his teeth, "Every time I try to bind them with my jutsus they phase through it!"

"And their minds…" Ino shuddered, "There's nothing but darkness in them. Sorry, Chouji, we can barely fight them."

"Or hurt them!" their sensei said, appearing behind them after disposing of the large Heartless Chouji tried to keep at bay, "These things aren't even alive, and they multiply like rabbits!"

"It's even worse!" Kurenai said, rushing to them with an exhausted Hinata leaning on her, "Illusions and even Hinata's Gentle Fist don't slow them down. She can take them out with the more advanced Hyuuga clan techniques, but…"

The shy girl shook her head, panting hard, "I can… still stand… Please, let's keep the village safe…"

"Don't overdo it!" Shino said, dashing at her side while his bugs tried to keep some Soldiers back, "They're like ants, everything in their way is food for some colony."

"Is there anyone behind this?" Kiba asked after he and Akamaru shredded a few Shadows with their claws, "Someone has to have lead them here."

"The question is who… or what." Shikamaru said while worried for his family and others.

"Do you think it's because Naruto left…?" Ino asked, making everyone turn to her, "Lady Tsunade said he left to help some friends he made, so could he have been dealing with these things before?"

"There's a chance." Kurenai said, "He's the first to get into trouble, as far as we've seen. I wouldn't put it past him that he is somewhere trying to get to the root of this."

"That's my rival for you!" Lee said, kicking a small mage from the sky before landing with them accompanied by his team, "Whoever he's fighting for must have had it pretty rough with these monsters!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Neji said while leaning on Gai, showing he too had been exhausted, "If anything, he could've lead them here without knowing."

Tenten readied her kunais, "Not his fault, I'd say. These creeps are like fire. Give them anything to burn, and they're all over the place."

"It just means our spirit has to burn far hotter than that!" Gai shouted as he and the other shinobi got ready to fight.

Not far off, Sakura was doing her best to tend to some survivors with what little she learned from Tsunade with Kakashi keeping several Heartless at bay. She could only cry at the misery spreading around her after her two teammates disappeared. And now, there she was, barely capable of keeping people alive while her sensei, the only person that remained from her team, had to keep her safe.

"Don't give up just yet, you can tell him that yourself!" the scarecrow said before stabbing his lightning hand on a Shadow before panting, "Naruto, what madness must you be on for this to happen?"

The Darkness for her part was having the time of her life, for before her where Orochimaru, and Sasuke Uchiha. The two were down on their knees, beaten and barely hanging on to their life while Kabuto himself barely breathed. Being an embodiment of every shadow in every single heart did come up with perks, such as being far more powerful beyond the comprehension of the two before her.

"My, my, my… To think you two caused such grief to my king by playing with him." She snarled, before kicking Orochimaru on the face, making him fall down, her face contorting into a furious expression, "And all this time your efforts are for nothing. One of you two isn't even important to the bigger schemes of many others, and the other can only see what's in front of him, and never bothers to see what is hidden."

"Who're you…?" Sasuke struggled to say after seeing every shinobi in the snake's hideout have their hearts ripped and devoured by the small girl.

She shrugged, "I'm someone playing on limited time. My counterpart can't die easily, it comes with us being the embodiment of something that isn't easy to get rid off… But oh well, at least I got her out of the game enough to do something nice for my king." She smirked at the Uchiha cruelly, "I could skin you, feed you to my babies, or even make you live eternally in agony, but no, it'd be too easy. I want my king to know my love through your suffering…"

"What king would love a freak like you?" Sasuke asked, only to be stomped face down on the ground.

The Darkness snapped, "The one you nearly killed, the one I tried to have resting in my embrace but you almost took away from me, the one that is finally the perfect vessel to carry my will! He's the one I could have held the moment he awoke after your battle had you not harmed him! You knew he was holding back because he trusted in you, and spat on it by trying to take his life!"

Sasuke's eyes widened, "You mean Naruto…?! He's still… alive?!"

"You…" she grew madder, and stomped his head into the ground, "I forbid you to say his name! You're the reason I had to give him up! Because if I took him like that, about to die on me, he would have been too weak to handle my love, and would have turned into another failure! So I gave up that chance so he could grow slowly but surely into my king! If he had fought back, if he had killed you… I'd have my king now!"

"Kukuku… such power…" Orochimaru started to say, before opening his maw, "I'll have to see how it works!"

From his jaw his famous sword shot out to impale the girl, cutting right through her chest where her heart would be… Problem being, she needn't one, "What toy is this?" she asked bored, grabbing the snake man's famously unbreakable sword with one hand, and snapping it in half, "You intend to hurt me with this? Stupid fool… Your greed could never harm me. If you had a pure heart, maybe that blade would have worked, but I could see your intentions miles away, meaning I didn't have to dodge. Do you two understand what's happening? You are so filled with darkness you can't harm me."

Sasuke trembled, "What… what will you do to us?"

She smirked, "I shall make you useful."

 **MY**

 **FIRST**

 **STEP**

 **TO**

 **MAKE**

 **YOU**

 **HAPPY**

"This is the one time I wish I could use my beak to swear in the worst ways possible."

Grumbling to himself while flying around the library at Maleficent's lair, Iago was doing his best to learn of ways to break Riku free and get his tail feathers and the kid's rear out of dodge. He flew around, grabbing books and trying to dig deeper and deeper into the backstory of many things. Some terrified him, like learning of some guy named Ansem but then finding out that there could be more. Digging even deeper, he was hit by truly shocking revelations about what previous failures in the search of a perfect king of darkness brought. Some of the pictures were too graphic for his liking.

"Here's something… A king of darkness can only be born through hardships. Why do all books say the same? Oh, this looks interesting…" he scratched his beak with his wing feathers, "Power is something a king desires and achieves, but the means differ. A True King of Darkness' desires can be sated with might alone, but those that have been complacent or remained greedy always fell. What makes a king fit for darkness?"

A picture was shown of a large, armored figure covered in shadows raising a large Keyblade and stabbing it right through the heart of a princess. Feeling nauseous, he skipped a few pages.

Unknown to him, he was being watched, "Seems someone's been doing more research." They said under their breath.

Iago scoffed and was about to put the book back where he found it, only to see a note sticking behind it. Peeling it off, he was about to start reading it… until his neck was grabbed and a gloved hand gripped it, "Oh, this is interesting. So Ansem was keeping notes on theories for the king…" Riku said before looking at the parrot, Iago fearing what the brainwashed boy's next actions could be. "Ok, listen buddy, pal, it's me! I'm with you all the way so long as that bunny ain't scrambling your brains like some cheap eggs!" he was squeezed hard, which choked him slightly, "Aw… ight… shutting… up…"

Loosening his grip, Riku read the paper, "Balance, what could balance the king's power to keep his heart from sinking into darkness? Is it the purity of the princesses, or something else? Upsetting the balance between light and darkness can bring out the king's true self, but at what cost?" he narrowed his eyes, "So this is why you called me. It seems that if what you said is true, then I'll be needed by my king."

"Indeed…" Kaguya said, walking in with Maleficent beside her, "It appears that girl has made her first move along that cat. Even that mad triangular man Bill Cipher is on the loose. To think the Light would leave herself exposed, but for what reason?" she locked eyes with the boy, "Riku, I need you to be a dear and find out why the Light would allow her own beloved other self to attack her for your dear friend…"

Riku's eyes widened, his true self coming out, "Kairi! You mean she's safe?!"

Kaguya smiled in a motherly way, though her expression hid dark intentions, "She is, but because the Light must have plans for her. Plans involving our king."

Maleficent smiled, "Such plans will bring nothing but trouble, so while my initial plan would have been to grant you power over the Heartless, seeing the Darkness herself in action while the Light is out is too risky." She rubbed the boy's cheek with the back of her hand, "After all, we can't have the king's friend and future knight falling before being able to fulfill his duties."

"What would you have me do?" he asked, eager for action.

The horned women smiled, the green-skinned one answering him, "Guide him to a Princess of Heart once he's done in that dark world. One of our dear friends could give him the power to… have a little fun."

He looked ready to retort, but Kaguya spoke first, "Think of it as a trade, this princess' heart for that of your friend's…"

Iago spoke next, "You're not evil, you're downright the vilest excuses of life to ever exist!" he shouted more out of fear than anger, but realized his mistake when they glared at him.

"Vile? Vile is when entire kingdoms shun you for being born unlike the way they wanted you to be, for choosing to be different from others…" Maleficent spat.

"You speak of me as evil, even though my cruelty is needed." Kaguya said softly, her glare still there, "Endless wars have tired me, and they keep going in my world. Darkness is the mean for me to stop them."

"And while the light chooses only those that had the luck to be born under its rays…" Maleficent started.

"The darkness accepts all, even the likes of you." Kaguya finished, "For it gives us power to stand to those that cast us in their shadows."

"And punish those that ignore their blessings." Maleficent ended.

It was no surprise that they wanted Naruto as a perfect king for more than one reason.

With a flick of her wrist, Maleficent had the parrot locked in another cage, while Kaguya sighed tiredly, "I need to mobilize that brat of Madara and his pathetic puppets. They shall make quick work out of anyone that interfere with our king, perhaps even proper Heartless too. It won't be easy given the fact that thanks to the Darkness all my plans to resurrect my other half are going down the drain."

Maleficent smiled softly to her ally, "Worry not, my dear, I shall make haste in retrieving that side of yours. After all, we know both our strength will be needed to make sure our king doesn't fall to anyone, not even the girl that wants him as her king."

Kaguya smiled wickedly, "Can't say I blame her, after wrapping my hands on that heart of his I can't… wait for my next encounter."

"Please, keep it to yourself, in your chambers' privacy, Lady Kaguya." Riku said as his still cheeky self before disappearing in a Dark Corridor, making Maleficent chuckle before Kaguya snickered a bit.

"To make me feel this young again, that king of ours really is something…" she shook her head and forced herself to focus on the matter at hand, "Though I have to worry. Is that girl planning ahead by forcing me to sped up my plans or is she acting on instinct?"

 **HE**

 **IS**

 **FOREVER**

 **MINE**

 **YOU**

 **SOW**

 **! ! !**

Demona wanted to pat herself in the back for a job well done. Had she a sense of humor, she'd have used the little claws on her wings to do so. Had she not been such a determined actress, she'd be able to do so had she not allowed herself to be injured. Watching her king glide and skid to a stop with his allies not close behind was her cue to work out the magic. Rushing to them with her wings covering her frame and a limp leg, she spoke with an award winning sincerity.

"Sorry…" she looked down, eyes closed, and made sure her mouth couldn't be seen to hide any hint of a smile on it, "I knew Jack wanted to control his own darkness, to give everyone a scare… I thought he'd make a perfect candidate… He was so desperate, so eager to do it that I couldn't help it… I taught him what I knew of the darkness, but he wasn't strong enough to endure it."

She gave herself props for not lying, technically.

"Hyahahaha…" they heard an odd… sad laughter, and turned to see what had become of Jack.

The skeleton was clad in a white jester suit, complete with black fuzzy buttons, black fuzzy cuffs and a three-prong hat. What was really unsettling, besides the Heartless emblem on his chest, was the fact his face was inside a steel cage. Even more unsettling and quite painful to watch was the expression on his face. He was laughing, but the tears in his eyes showed there was no joy in him.

"Jack…" Naruto growled, clenching his Keyblade in his hand, the incomplete blade trembling, "Why… were you such an idiot?!" he shouted, glaring at him. But if one looked close they'd see that he was fighting back tears of his own, "I told you! I knew this would happen, so why didn't you listen?! You… You are better than this, aren't you?! What happened to being the Pumpkin King?!"

Jack's voice was filled with nothing but pain and sorrow, "My… friend… hyahahaha… I… I wanted to make you enjoy a good scare… but now… I only desire… to terrify so many… Hyehehehehe… I can't… help it… Ahyahahaha… It's… my one desire…" his right arm twitched, a familiar green blob coming to life as a whip, "I need help… Help! I don't… I want to make you enjoy my scares, not hurt you!"

"We'll get you out!" Alice said, clenching her own Keyblade, "We're saving you and everyone that falls into the darkness, that's what this Keyblade is for!"

Naruto nodded and everyone got ready for a had battle, "This is why we fight, so people like you don't have to suffer because of this stupid war between the Darkness and the Light." He looked at the skeleton, eyes burning with determination, "We're getting you out no matter what!"

Moved by his friend's words, Jack could only try to restrain himself even if his body was not even his, "Hyahahaha! I'm sorry… I'm really, really, **SORRY!** "

A powerful aura of darkness overcame him, the Heartless emblem glowing as his eyes lost their luster, becoming pure yellow. Demona hid the wicked smile on her face as she watched this, Jack was completely lost in his darkness now. Naruto realized this, and he stopped briefly. Fists clenched, and sharp teeth grit into a furious scowl. He buried his fury and his sorrow, focusing them into determination. With his Keyblade in hand, the King of Darkness held out his right fist.

Upon it formed a blue fireball, making Demona clap her hands in awe, "Dark Fist! That technique, Gargoyles lost it ages ago! I thought only those foul Heartless mockeries of us could still use it!" Naruto flashed her a wry grin from behind his back.

Replying with a sad tone, "Guess I'm just full of surprises." He chuckled sardonically, before flying forward like a rocket.

With a powerful Dark Fist, he slammed into Psycho Jack, the Heartless form of the Pumpkin King. The blow launched both forward, Naruto holding his friend by the cage covering his face, refusing to fight where people could see him. Demona and his friends quickly followed, his friends followed knowing that they had to help Naruto with this or else he might not be able to restore Jack. Demona on the other hand… came to see her king devour a brand new heart and become even more malefic and beautiful to her eyes.

They surrounded him at the plaza and got ready for a fight with Demona staying back. Psycho Jack cackled as he rose to his feet, his weapon held at his side before he lashed at the group. They ducked or jumped out of the way, but he didn't aim at them. The sound of metal being crushed made them turn to see that the slimy green whip had grabbed a trash can. Psycho Jack yanked it and started spinning it over his head like it was a flail before throwing it at them. Stitch didn't waste a second and fired before turning to Steven.

"Charge! Charge!" the blue gunner shouted.

"On me then, little bud!" the guardian shouted, hooking a thumb to his shoulders.

The boy nodded and both charged as the trash can was melted by the heavy plasma shot. Stitch rode on Steven's shoulders, firing at Psycho Jack, whose whip grabbed the projectiles to send them back. Steven tanked through the shots with Stitch taken cover. However, something caught the recently made Heartless' eyes and he turned with a plasma shot in his slimy weapon's hold to Alice. The girl's Keyblade was held high, radiating light as she looked at the once jolly skeleton with determined eyes. Seeing a ball of pure white light forming at the tip of her weapon, he attacked.

Lashing out, he sent the plasma ball at the petite princess, who would've been worried if not for the ones with her. A clean slice from Connie had the projectile split in two, both halves landing behind Alice without even getting close to her. The young sword wielder readied her sword when Psycho Jack leapt in the air and lashed at her. His Soul Robber coiled around her sword, and she pulled back… only to be lifted into the air and spun around like a rag doll.

Gripping her sword tightly to not fall while holding her disembodied head closer, Connie didn't know what'd happen if her current nausea had her last lunch exit her stomach, "Someone help, I'm getting dizzy!"

Psycho Jack cackled and threw her down to slam her on the ground, only to find that the headless girl landed on a pile of pillows, unharmed. "I guess being a genie has more than one advantage." Jasmine said with a weak chuckle before Psycho Jack lashed at her.

Being a snake, her first thought was to start slithering away, and being a genie she had half a mind to poof out of the battle and return to her ring, but she caught sight of something, "No way…"

"Jasmine!" she heard Naruto call her before she lifted her hands forward. Hissing in pain when the whip hit her back, she endured it and the following strike while her hands glowed with genie power. Naruto noticed that due to the fight someone had been dangerously close to the Heartless, and Jasmine had shoved them away. Naruto was surprised to see Shock, Lock and Barrel there.

"Boss, we can help!" they shouted before the genie girl had them fly away.

Upon seeing that Agrabah's princess was shaking from the strikes, Psycho Jack wrapped his Soul Robber around her tail to start slamming her around, but his eyes turning to Alice said what his target would be. Said Keyblade wielder aimed her fully charged shot right at him. The large orb, already the size of a beach ball, split into a dozen smaller orbs that went flying right at the mad skeleton. Psycho Jack swung Jasmine over his head, ready to crash her down on Alice's attack, but the strike didn't connect.

"Now!" Terra exclaimed as three tornadoes swirled around him, spinning faster and gaining enough momentum to become a larger tornado that sent him and Jasmine flying. It also made Alice's attack have less trouble tracking the skeleton. The light orbs followed him in the air and hit the skeleton directly. The airborne Jasmine was caught by Naruto, who used the dangerous to glide after her. Had he looked at her and not kept his eyes on Jack, he'd have seen her blush at feeling her own scaly body touching his bare-chested form.

Giving a pained roar as dark specks flew into the air and vanished, Psycho Jack clutched his chest with one hand and stumbled back, "Did that do it?!" the blond asked before setting Jasmine down.

"No, we made him madder!" he heard Terra exclaim as Jack landed on his feet, clutching his side with one hand. Beneath the bones they could see a hole that the darkness that Alice blasted was trying to reform and cover over what clearly was his suit.

Steven gritted his teeth, "He's still there, how do we get him out?!"

Alice ran to them, slightly worried, "At the rate that hole is closing, another attack like that won't change anything." She chewed her lower lip for a moment, "I can keep trying and make them stronger with more-"

"He doesn't have much time!" they heard Demona urge them, before turning to Naruto, "But you can help him. After all, that Keyblade of yours does absorb darkness, does it not?"

Quickly getting the hint, Naruto looked at his sword just one time before nodding, "Alright, it's not like I fight Heartless any other way…" he turned to Alice, "Make sure to charge that attack with all you've got, then I'll take every last ounce of darkness out of him!"

As soon as Psycho Jack's wound was healed, it glared at the light Keyblade warrior and lunged at her. All the while, Demona could only smile. Everyone but Alice either rushed at the lanky skeleton with their own strategies or stood behind to keep Alice safe. It was true that they didn't know each other for very long, but fighting together in life-threatening situations did help them understand what to do. Steven and Connie charged in first, the girl ducking under a jumping kick and charging back. Psycho Jack cackled and tried to grab her face with a bony hand, only to have it stopped by Steven's shield.

Connie jumped over her friend, using his shield as a step to bring down her sword singlehandedly on the skeleton, but using the flat side on his caged head to avoid hurting him. Stunned, Psycho Jack wobbled back on shaky legs and found them wrapped by something strong. Jasmine's serpent tail had coiled around his legs and made him trip. But he didn't fall like she'd have expected him to, the performer was an expert in any and all tricks, and halted his fall with his hands before flipping over to free his legs. In a bizarre literal twist, he moved his body in such a way that he stood like a spider, his slimy whip ready.

Once again, Terra tried to contain him with her trusty wind spells. However, after learning from the previous one, Psycho Jack jumped away and kept charging right at Alice. The first to intercept him was a certain tiny Heartless using her massive sword as a pogo stick. She landed hard on the ground, nailing her sword into it to stop the recently made Heartless. Psycho Jack cackled while Shada innocently tilted her head to the side and waited for him to react. He dashed around her, ready to strike Alice so she couldn't keep charging her attack.

"Nuh-uh!" Stitch said before, to everyone's increasing surprise, showing off his physical strength by ripping off a chunk of the ground and slamming it in front of Psycho Jack like a makeshift barrier. Stopped in its tracks, Psycho Jack heard Shada's large sword cut the air while Stitch jumped at the top of what used to be part of the street and fired at him.

The possessed performer cackled before jumping in the air, putting a hand on the ground to bounce off and stay further away from the two tiniest warriors of the party. Demona found herself smirking at the newly made Heartless' capabilities. However, she needed to keep her plan working. With a quick search in her skirt's hidden pockets and a flick of her wrist, she threw a smoke bomb at the ground.

Psycho Jack was blinded by the smoke before regretting it when feeling Stitch slamming all four fists into its body, Stitch actually pummeling him hard enough to lift him into the air, "ALOHA!" The tiny alien shouted a battle cry before Psycho Jack was sent flying into the wall.

"Not bad, not bad at all!" Connie chuckled before she held her sword out in front of her neck, seeming to concentrate before she swung it three times in an arc. Three individual lines cut the street into chunks, rubble flying high into the air and sending Psycho Jack rolling down the street painfully. She felt bad for harming the skeleton, but since there was no other way to get the darkness out, she'd do her best.

Getting up slowly while holding its caged head, Psycho Jack snarled at her until hearing three voices behind him, "Ready!" started Naruto with lightning in his hand.

"Aim!" went Terra, forming three large chunks of ice above her.

"Fire!" Jasmine exclaimed, shooting a fireball at the lanky skeleton.

The three got Psycho Jack on the back, making him stumble and fall down to one knee, "Hit him where it hurts!" it heard the three prankster kids cheer before turning to them, "Uh-oh!" they hugged each other in fear as the skeleton leapt at them, only for the dark performer to be stopped by Steven's shield.

"Get out, don't you see how dangerous this is?!" he cried.

"But we can help!" Lock said as she and the others pulled out a bag and opened it, revealing presents. Steven's confusion allowed Psycho Jack to backhand him away and turn his attention to the kids, who merely grabbed a present each above their heads and threw them at him, "Everyone, cover your eyes!" Lock shouted at the warriors.

They did so as a blinding light erupted from the presents, getting Psycho Jack right in the face and making the others see some spots in their vision that thankfully went away, Barrel cheering, "Yeah, the joke presents we made worked!" his cheering was short lived when Psycho Jack started to blindly claw at them.

"It's ready, hold him down!" Alice cried and took aim.

Needing no further instructions, Stitch latched on to one of Psycho Jack's legs, before stomping on the ground so hard he nailed his feet on it. Steven basically bear-hugging the other and trying to pull it down. Connie moved there immediately when Psycho Jack was about to strike the kids and let his bony hands clash against the flat side of her sword.

With that opening, Alice didn't miss after repeating her attack with a bigger and far stronger version that hit Psycho Jack straight in the chest. The darkness flew high into the air and Jack's head and torso were free. He gasped for breath and watched in horror as the darkness tried to reform around him, but Naruto wouldn't let that happen. Letting out an echoing battle-cry, he twirled his incomplete Keyblade in one hand and pressed the tip on Jack's chest while being careful not to stab him.

"Please, let this work!" he begged, observing how the darkness closed around his blade… but didn't go in, "No, no, no! Why is it not working now?!" he cried, feeling tears of despair about to come out.

Demona answered him with all her effort to keep her act, "Then… there's no other choice!" she cried, holding a hand forward, "You must take his heart!"

"What?!" everyone screamed in horror.

She nodded, holding her hand at him, "It's the only way, then! Would you want him to actually fall into the darkness as a mindless puppet, or give him mercy and let his dark but gentle spirit live on inside you!"

"But-" he tried to argue, but she quickly countered him.

"Choose now before he actually stops being himself! Would you let him live without his heart like another beast of the dark realm?!"

Despair, sorrow, regret… The one chosen as King of Darkness fell all of that at that one moment… And so did his child. "Shada?!" he asked when seeing the little bunny-like Heartless land on Jack's body.

While the skeleton was still visible and the darkness tried to fully absorb him yet again, something bizarre happened. Shada's mouth was wide open and, while the darkness was still weak, started to eat the dark matter! Everyone, even Demona herself, watched in awe and shock as the tiny Heartless devoured the matter she was made of. Sinking her teeth just once, it was more like she were drinking the darkness, absorbing it into her body at a rapid pace while it still tried to reform after Alice's light attack.

Demona gasped, "It's assimilating the power that girl purified with her Keyblade and making it her own… What is this Heartless?!"

Once Shada had her fill and Jack was free – though naturally in shock and exhausted – the group watched the tiny shadow wobble after slurping the last of the darkness. Naruto was quick to skid on his knees to catch her before she hit the ground, holding the tiny creature in his hands and, admittedly subconsciously, caressing her tiny bunny-like head. It stared back at him with its amber beady eyes, and he could swear there had to be a smile on her face.

"Just… what did you do?" he asked.

Instead of answering, Shada closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Jack, after being released by the others, stumbled towards them, holding his head, "I… I want to know what happened and… how can I help you?"

Naruto sighed and let himself fall flat on his back, clutching Shada close, "A bed, please… this adventure's been too… bizarre."

"Agreed…" the others muttered before falling flat on their rears too.

Demona bit her lower lip, though, unable to process what she saw, ' _That creature… Could that daughter of his, my queen's newest princess, be the answer I was looking for…? Naruto, you… You're the king I want to see rise…_ ' she smiled softly at him, walking to the boy before rubbing his head, tracing her claws on his hair, "Rest well, you earned it." She spoke sincerely, no need for acting, ' _I want to observe your every step to claim your crown, my liege. I shall make sure it's glorious, so we gargoyles can live as we deserve under your rule._ '

 **SUCH**

 **PERFECTION**

 **. . .**

 **WE**

 **SHALL**

 **MAKE**

 **MORE**

 **DAUGHTERS**

 **AFTER**

 **I**

 **DESTROY**

 **THE**

 **PRISON**

 **YOU**

 **CALLED**

 **HOME**

 **! ! !**

And that's my rap!

Shada will be important as you can see. If you want a comparison… think of her as Star Platinum from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. She starts simple and as the story progresses, she will show a bigger part on the story. Next chapter, the Darkness will go even crazier as she has fun in the Elemental Nations, our heroes will go to a certain water world, and Kairi will deal with her own problems.

And if you're wondering… Yes, the Light is currently K.O. But she can't really die. Reason? Well, light and darkness are two sides of the same coin and can't live without one another. Yes, it's that simple. I mean, would you understand what joy is without displeasure to compare it to? To balance the universe, they can't die or kill one another. What the Darkness wants is to basically lock the Light as a trophy for all eternity, and make out with Naruto like crazy while the goddess of all that is good watches.

Also, yes, expect the Elemental Nations to end as a mess, and consequences because of it.

Swordslinger out!


	18. Dual Coronation

I OWN NOTHING

As I wander around wondering how much sanity is left in me I can't help but feel like I need to torture myself. What best way to do so than combining franchises I really like?

 **YOU**

 **WILL**

 **NEVER**

 **GET**

 **IN**

 **THE**

 **WAY**

 **OF**

 **MY**

 **LOVE**

 **! ! !**

Standing all alone in the center of a circle compromised of the one and only Lost Boys, Kairi didn't know what to think as she held a shivering Heartless to her body. The tiny critter was holding tightly to her body, though Pearl had her spear in hand and her eyes on it in case that the Shadow tried anything funny. Garnet looked stoic as ever with her arms crossed, but she seemed in control. Amethyst on the other hand…

"Well, time to rough you up too." She said as she cracked her knuckles and, with a flash of light, turned into a massive purple skinned luchador with a mask, a leotard, and white chest hair.

"No." Kairi told her firmly while adjusting her hold on the Shadow so it didn't fall, "They're not worth it."

The purple Gem returned to normal with a shocked look on her face, "Come on, K! These jerks shouldn't just leave after what they did! Look at the little one in your arms, it's terrified by these guys, and it's like the most basic form of pure darkness!"

"And she could use some help." Kairi added as she petted the Shadow's head, getting it to calm down some more, "Let's leave them and go on. We… Tinkerbell?"

The fairy in question looked troubled as she looked between the Lost Boys and Peter Pan to Kairi and the Gems, and Garnet knew what was up, "If you want to tend to them, we won't hold it against you."

Troubled but still proud, the blonde turned up her nose, " _N-No! I made up my mind, and Peter better apologize sincerely to me if he expects me to lend him a hand again!_ "

"Say it proud, girl!" Amethyst cheered.

Pearl rubbed her face with a hand, "Please, we need to focus. As… bizarre as it is, we have a new companion." She examined the Shadow unsure about whether to point at it with her spear or not, and then turned to Garnet who nodded, "Alright, we need to go to the island and end this mess. Tinkerbell, could you be a dear and give us a lift?"

Hearing the ballerina-like Gem's words, the small fairy nodded at her and started to fly around them, covering in her dust, " _So, are you ready, girls?_ "

"Wait, Tink! Are you really going to ditch us for them!?" the boy in the bear costume asked in shock.

Tinkerbell was right on his face, furious, " _After Peter ignored me, played favorites with that airhead Wendy, and tried to fight a friend I made who protected me from the Heartless?_ " she was calm, but her anger was boiling deeply and ready to erupt.

The fox boy nodded, "Well, yeah. You always come back to Peter no matter what girl he's playing with."

" _I've had it!_ " the fairy yelled and flew away, motioning for the Gems and Kairi to follow her, " _After me, I know a good way to get to that cave without the wind bothering us. And when I return, none of you Lost Boys will fly ever again! Neither will Peter!_ "

"W-Wait!" they called at her, but Tinkerbell and the female warriors were already flying away.

"Sheesh, and I thought I wanted to rough them up bad." Amethyst commented.

Kairi, still holding the Shadow in her arms, smiled at the fairy, "You did well. So long as they learn their lesson, it should be good…" her eyes caught the fairy's distraught face, "Are you… worried?"

Shaking her head, Tinkerbell remained strong, ' _I was, but I shouldn't be. After all, I've always forgiven and gone back to Peter time and time again, and it's like he never learns. I get so… tired of it._ '

Patting the fairy's shoulder gently with a finger, the tallest woman smiled softly, "Don't worry, we've got your back and an ear to lend if you need us."

"Yeah, and who knows?" Kairi said playfully, smirking at an idea, "I know a guy who needs a girlfriend badly. He's a doofus, but he's well-meaning and always honest. I could introduce you to him."

" _Heh, if he's good looking, sure. I'd like Peter to be jealous._ " Tinkerbell had a smirk on her face at the idea crossing her mind.

Garnet spoke next, surprising the others, "He is cute, even adorable. But something's odd about him…"

"Garnet…?" Kairi was worried, "Why do you talk as if you know him?"

"Our paths will cross, along someone dear to you." Garnet informed her, "That is something that will happen no matter what, so you can look forward to it."

"You're not fooling me." the redhead was sharp, since wit was required to get someone like Riku to behave, "What did you mean something is odd about him?"

Taking a moment, the square-haired woman answered truthfully, "He's got a lot on his plate, but he's doing his best to overcome it. And if he does, well, he'll be quite the catch, Tinkerbell."

Said fairy blushed as she imagined a gallant knight in armor with a shining smile, azure eyes, a mane of golden hair, and a light tan. She didn't know how close she was to the reality with her dream.

And then reality hit the fairy, " _Wait, is there a catch?_ "

Garnet adjusted her shades and looked away, "There is competition. Good luck, you may need it."

The fairy groaned, " _Ugh… If he's a nice guy, maybe, but I could use a rest from getting angry at other girls…_ "

 **CHAOS**

 **WILL**

 **BE**

 **THE**

 **FIRST**

 **STEP**

And seeing everything from afar with a telescope made from bones of demonic creatures was Bill, chuckling as he poured himself a glass of a pink, glowing liquid, "Oh, this is rich. A fairy, Gems and a Keyblade user who also happens to be a Princess of Heart all together. They may go shopping, paint their nails, and keep talking about cute boys… But where's the fun in that!?"

As he rhetorically asked that, he made a finger-gun gesture at the water. His hand was engulfed in an azure flame that he shot behind the five beings of light and the Heartless. When a pillar of water shot skywards like a geyser, the five turned to see an enormous being standing at its full height with murder in its lack of a face. It definitely was as weird as the triangle man himself.

"What is that!?" Kairi asked in shock.

Pearl stared, mostly confused, "There are some things you don't see every day, but I never expected… that."

The being before them was a gigantic jellyfish with a human brain inside pulsating with green energy, jade-colored lightning flashing inside it. And the creepy part came when the girls saw that the tip of its six large tentacles ended with human heads. Bald heads of people who couldn't be identified as man or women but more like mannequin heads opened their mouths to reveal yellow eyes inside them.

Kairi couldn't hold back a disgusted shiver running up and down her spine, "I'm going to be sick…"

"It wants a fight." Garnet warned her, gauntlets ready, "And it's not alone."

"Oh you Gems always have a thing for seeing the many possible threads of the future, don't you?" Bill laughed atop the monster, seated on a throne made of lizard arms and legs.

"Who are you, you oversized nacho?" Amethyst asked with a glare.

Pearl, however, gasped, "It's… It's a Lord of Chaos!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, sweetie!" Bill chortled as he waved a hand.

Kairi noticed he had an orb in his hand, and something in her heart pulsed, "Wendy…" she whispered before shouting, "I can feel it, you have her trapped in that orb! Why!?"

"Smart one, aren't you?" he shrugged, "Honestly, I'm just bored! See, the big wigs are duking it out! Light, Darkness, and those who follow them or try to control them are being idiots again. I just want to cut to the main act when the new King of Darkness awakens and fails like all others. At least the battles and chaos he'll create shall be a nice addition to my album."

"Naruto…" Kairi felt it, or rather knew it. There were too many coincidences, "What do you plan to do, then?"

"See, titles aren't something I'm fond of, but as your bird friend said I'm a Lord of Chaos. If Light and Darkness look for balance, there needs to be something to break the monotony. That's where many like I come to make sure the universe isn't dull and dies out. Now, I could go on with a monologue of why chaos is needed to create desire and for the likes of you to stay alive in the universe, but I can also have some fun!"

"Wait, answer my quest-" Kairi was cut off when Bill snapped his fingers and the enormous jellyfish monster flew up.

"And just to make sure you give it your all…" he taunted them and threw the orb with Wendy up. One of the tentacles caught it, wrapping around it before pulling it inside the creature's body, "Kyehehehehahaha! Let's see if you can guess where she is now! And be quick, Jelly-Mind eats quick! Just be careful not to let an hour pass after ingesting the girl or her soul will be gone forever! Toodles!"

With a mocking bow in which he took off his hat for a moment, Bill was gone to leave Kairi and the Gems to fight his monstrosity. She and the Gems flew at it, ready for battle while it aimed one of its heads at them. Everyone noticed quickly how the eye in the mouth glowed, and rolled out of the way of a green beam of energy. When the beam hit a rock on the water it was left with a massive smoking hot in it.

"Yeah, that's going to be hot." Garnet commented dryly before turning to Kairi, "You and Peal fly together. Amethyst, you're with me!"

"Got it!" the purple Gem cheered and noticed the look in the tallest of the group.

Smirking, she lassoed one of Garnet's gauntlets and started to spin midair, gaining speed while Kairi and Pearl flew around to find an opening at the monster's side. Amethyst let out a joyful laugh as she launched a more than ready Garnet at the jellyfish. Just then, Kairi and Pearl managed to get close enough to the main body and flew around one of its tendrils to nail its side with their blades.

The end result was instantaneous and painful! All three were shocked with green electricity that sent them rocketing back!

And Bill was watching from afar, laughing out loud, "Bwah ahahahah! That was priceless, I got to see it again!" he snapped his fingers, an instant replay showing the three getting zapped, "Again, in slow-mo!"

While the sadistic triangle delighted himself safely away, the Gems and Kairi groaned, the redhead speaking first, "Should've known it wouldn't be easy."

"We need to turn that defense off, but how?" Pearl asked.

"What about this!?" Amethyst crowed as she grabbed a large boulder from the ocean with her whip and threw it at the monstrous Jelly-Mind like a sling.

Pearl had an entire speech ready to give at how the shortest Gem's actions were reckless and foolish, if not for the fact that it worked! Jelly-Mind's body shook from the strike and they could see its energy flicker. And deep inside it was a small orb where Wendy was trapped. Seeing this, all four girls turned to one another with matching smirks and readied their weapons.

"Hmm…" Bill hummed, stroking his bow tie, "Should've used a better pet." Then he shrugged, "Oh well, this should be fun nonetheless. No matter!"

He snapped his fingers, the Jelly Mind suddenly exploding into a huge torrent of slime that sent them all crashing against a rock. All four girls looked shocked as multiple Jelly-Minds formed a circle around them, electricity sparking between the monsters and forming a web of dangerous lightning. Thankfully, a wave hit them and washed off the slime with salty water, leaving them much cleaner.

"W-Watch out!" Pearl snapped out, Kairi leaping to her feet along with Amethyst and Garnet, and the quartet tried to get away, but found out a predicament.

"Wait, what gives!?" Amethyst exclaimed as she jumped over and over, but didn't take off.

Garnet noticed the slime on her and the other's bodies, "We're out of fairy dust." She said stoically, yet balled her hands into tight fists as Bill laughed psychotically.

"Got you! Think you can actually do something now that you can't fly away!?" He snapped his finger again, the Jelly-Minds forming together and lifting one massive tentacle up to crush them against the rock.

Kairi closed her eyes shut, wishing she could just fly out of the way… then looked surprised when she and the Crystal Gems had indeed flown out of the way. But they didn't do it with Tinkerbell's dust. Much to her shock and the Gems', it was because of their tiny Shadow friend. While the four flew away, the tiny being merged with the floor. The rock crumbled into smaller ones, but Kairi was relieved to see it jump to her.

"Hey, now we're even!" she cheered, hugging the Heartless to her body like a mother would with her child. It seemed to blush, a small pink hue under its eyes as it nuzzled into her arms.

Bill's eye popped out in shock, leaving him to think for a few seconds on the ramifications of this, "DAMMIT!" He cursed violently. "Isn't darkness supposed to be taking over!? I got the memo, didn't I!? That little bug should be chomping on her heart like Pine Trees devour junk!" he snapped to his monsters, "Jelly-Minds, why do you think I keep you around!? Either kill them or get turned into sashimi!"

" _I got you covered_!" Tinkerbell exclaimed and zipped around the four, giving them a new coat of fairy dust to fly off.

The little Heartless remained on Kairi's back, staring at Bill with an almost curious stare that Kairi noticed, "What're you thinking about, little guy?" she whispered, and it motioned at the triangle with its head.

Amethyst noticed it and smirked, "Alright girls, playball!" she cheered as the small Shadow nodded.

Kairi nodded back at the small critter and threw it up into the air, where Amethyst caught it with her whip as a lasso. She whirled the small creature around while being mindful of the Jelly-Minds. One got too close for comfort, so she turned to the nearest Gem, that one being Pearl.

"What in the-" she panicked, before using her spear to bounce him up and seeing Garnet open with her hands up like a volleyball player, "Well, here goes!"

As the Shadow felt the largest Gem's hand on it, it heard her whisper with a soft smile, "You're one of a kind, little guy." She bounced him up over her head before slamming him down in a textbook spike at Bill.

The triangle man was too busy ordering the Jelly-Minds to see the incoming Shadow, "Get yourselves together, guys! I need you to kick some ass before any of those infernal- Huh?" he noticed something coming at him too late, and yelped when the Shadow landed on his face, all of its limbs around his only eye, "Hey, who turned off the s-YEOW!" and then it started to nibble the white orb.

"That's its plan!?" Pearl asked more baffled than angry.

"Wait for it…" Garnet whispered casually.

Finally, something started to happen to Bill. His body was starting to crack, rays of light popping out as he flailed with hateful screams. He tried to touch the Heartless and get him off, but everyone was shocked that he was unable to touch it. Not only that, the Shadow was perfectly capable of latching on to him.

"Geddoff, geddoff, geddoff!" he screamed, shaking all around to get the nibbler off his face, literally, "Argh! This is why I hate you pests! Ow! Stop that! Ouch!"

Kairi gasped, "He can't touch him!?"

Pearl stared in confusion, "Lords of Chaos always instigated wars, favoring neither light or darkness, to bring mayhem to all worlds. Could it be because they can't touch manifestations of them in their purest form?"

Amethyst scratched the back of her head in confusion, "Uh, simpler words?"

"I have no idea either, but I've heard from Rose that a long, long time ago the Diamonds tried to fight two beings beyond powerful." She gulped, "The Diamonds were afraid of them, for one of them was the mother of all Heartless. That being was truly frightening."

Garnet hummed, "Perhaps she gave her little ones a blessing to deal with guys like Bill."

Kairi smiled, "Then it's a good thing Oswald's on our side."

"Oswald?" the Gems questioned the name that Kairi decided to give the Shadow.

"Geddoff, geddoff! Gah!" Bill finally had enough and teleported away, leaving Oswald to drop onto the rocks the girls had landed on and scratch himself with one foot in a manner similar to a rabbit thumping its leg. "Alright! No more Mr. Nice Bill! You guys want to cheese me off!? Then let's break out the millennia old milk and have a party!"

Bill reappeared with a furious yell, moments before he snapped his fingers from one hand, the other holding his seriously damaged eye. The Jelly-Minds made a noise roughly between a bloop and a gloop, then slid together. Each part of the jellyfish slowly banding together and extending itself. In front of them, what formed out of the mass of monsters appeared like a massive squid.

"I feel a bit sick looking at that thing." Kairi mumbled in disgust.

"Go for it!" Bill snapped his hand out angrily, before the gigantic Jelly-Mind swung a tentacle crackling with electricity at the quintet before it, making Kairi gulp as she dodged back.

"This is new!" she declared as Garnet punched away one tentacle, catching her up in an arm and throwing her out of the way of a follow up swing, flipping back herself.

"It's a lousy way to spend a tropical vacation, I'll give you that Kairi!" Amethyst chuckled out, whirling around with her whips to deflect electrical balls shot out by the flailing tentacles.

"Maybe, but it's at least something new!" Pearl reprimanded her, whirling her spear around in a windmill like fashion as a tentacle was shredded when it tried slamming into her.

"We have a plan, though!" Kairi told them, and they nodded, knowing what she meant.

With Bill blinded, the redhead dived and scooped up the small Shadow, which swiftly got on her back, narrowing its eyes at the evil triangle.

"GET THEM!" He could barely stand to look at the little critter, so filled with disgust and hatred he was going madder than usual.

The tiny Shadow just flipped off Kairi's back in response, its claws wide before it slammed right into the Jelly-Mind. The small Heartless started to claw at it without stopping, cutting through like a living buzz saw until it left a gash in the tendril that made it snap yet not fall apart, like a twig. Noticing it was about to be slapped out of the sky, Amethyst shot out her whip and coiled it protectively around the small thing.

"Easy there!" She reeled it in and held in her arms as it hissed at the Jelly Mind and Bill Cipher, "You've got some serious guts little guy… or girl… dang, hey Pearl! Do Heartless have genders?!"

Twirling like a helicopter, Pearl sliced her way through more of the tendrils, splattering goo all over the water below.

She floated next to Garnet, who slammed both fists together as she answered Amethyst's random question, "How would I know Amethyst?! Oh! Garnet, help Kairi!" She panicked when the red headed girl was nearly slapped down by a tentacle, Garnet calmly punching it away and saving her.

"Garnet, thanks!" Kairi said gratefully, as she extended her Keyblade, concentrating as energy filled her body, "I hope I can do this right… Just like you've felt them do… Thundara!"

She pointed her Keyblade skyward, then aimed it at the Jelly-Mind's open wound, before magical lightning shot out and jolted through the creature!

"HAH! What you think would ha-" Billy taunted her preemptively, thinking that because it could sustain itself off electricity it'd be fine… moments before it wiggled, jiggled, shook, and exploded all over the ocean! Globs of electrified jelly coated him and made his body twitch and spasm.

"AHAHAHAH!" Amethyst snorted, wheezed, then burst out laughing at Bill Cipher's thoroughly jelly coated body. He looked like a giant jello pop now, especially with his triangular body.

"Why you little-" Bill was about to launch a long tirade of angry words, but Oswald thankfully kept things child-friendly by latching on his face again, "Gah, my eye!" the triangular man mumbled as the Shadow's tiny but sharp claws dug into its eyeball.

"Give us Wendy back!" Kairi yelled while Bill flailed around with Oswald savagely scratching his eye.

"Never!" the tiny chaos being shouted as he tried to yank off the Shadow, which kept itself nailed to his eye.

"Oswald." Kairi said, and it started to nibble Bill's eye.

The lord of chaos' screams were almost musical after the ordeal he gave the girls, "Ah! GAH! GEDDOFF!" he pushed off the Heartless, which Garnet caught without even lifting her head by simply holding out her hands bridal style. It thanked her by nuzzling into the largest female's neck affectionately despite her remaining as stoic as ever.

"You want another one, then?" Amethyst threatened, rolling her whip on one hand.

Bill chuckled as he held his eye, his body glowing red as his voice deepened, " **Think you bested me? Hah… Hahaha!** " he started cackling, his body gaining several sharp-fanged maws, " **FOOLS! I AM ONE WHO SEES EVERYTHING AND KNOWS IT TOO! The deal I made with this girl forever puts her soul in my hands! If you want her back, you'll have to do more than play with one of my pets!** "

"Don't make us repeat ourselves!" Pearl declared firmly.

Bill cackled more, " **Hahahahahahaha!** **Listen bird lady, I am all up for another round to make your lives miserable, but I made a deal with this girl, and I am not feeling very cooperative after this little fiasco! How I just so… ABSOLUTELY DESPISE YOUR KIND!** " he pointed a furious finger at Kairi, " **So righteous, so set in making the world follow a boring order! Some of us need pain to understand pleasure, Princess!** "

Kairi gasped, "How'd you-"

Bill's eye widened, "Ahaha!" he returned to normal, appearing right behind them, "So… did you like my decoy?" he casually snapped his fingers, the once furious Bill they saw disappearing while the real one looked at his nails, "Must say, tricking you into attacking that pet to free the girl was a tad too amusing! You just bought it! Line, hook and sinker! Oh my, did you really believe you had me on the ropes!?"

"You're sick!" Kairi exclaimed.

Bill bowed, "Thank you kindly, Princess. I must say, I had quite a hoot. So, why don't we take this game somewhere else?" he snapped his fingers, a portal appearing, "Keep playing my game and the girl may be safe a couple more turns. Lose any of them, and… well, you'd be lucky if you joined her."

"It's a trap." Pearl whispered with a glare.

"Need no future vision to see that." Garnet said, clenching her fists after putting Oswald on her afro, "But it's the only thing we got, and I am sadly not joking."

"Well, shall we play?" Bill asked, his eye shining with glee, "All I want is you girls to go to another world. Take some pictures, relax, meet new and interesting people… and then fight for your life! Ahahaha!"

Pondering her options, Kairi had only one conclusion as she turned to the Gems, "He's got answers… Let's make him tell us all of them by beating them out of him."

Her new friends nodded.

 **PUPPETS**

 **SHOULD**

 **PLAY**

 **WITH**

 **PUPPETS**

Iago wasn't having fun back in a cage at Maleficent's castle. He could only groan in the middle of the massive meeting room as Hades rambled before him.

The fiery god wasn't alone, though, "That little brat has a weak point, and yet he just strolls around and doesn't ignore it, but he just says he'll stick to his guns! Can you believe someone's that stupid, Maleficent!?"

Said green woman caressed a raven's beak while the bird rested on her shoulder, "You do realize that the Kings of Darkness were men of great will? No fools who'd surrender to power easily could hold the title. Let alone entice that little girl. It should come as no surprise he'd resist temptation. However, it is by making darkness appealing to him that we have to win him over."

"And what better way than using his friends?" Kaguya asked, holding a hand over Maleficent's magic orb, which showed Sora, Donald and Goofy, "This one and the red-haired girl are particularly problematic. Thanks to them, he had his first taste of light. Nothing forced like those fools at his village who had to because he changed their minds or was forced to play by their rules."

Hades grinned widely, "Oh, a hostage situation! My specialty!"

"Not what I had in mind…" the rabbit woman started as a black humanoid shape rose from the shadows beside her.

"Hello mother…" it said.

Hades stared blankly before aiming a finger at the blob, "He took after the dad, didn't he?"

The goddess ignored the fiery man and turned to the blob with a small smile, "Zetsu, are things ready?"

It showed a large cartoon grin, "Indeed, the Darkness has attacked our future king's village, and has taken those who accepted him into her realm. However, your other still rests safely and hidden away."

"And the fools at Akatsuki?" she asked curiously.

Zetsu grinned, "I did as told, mother. After instructing them of what is happening and my stories regarding a source, those fools will act accordingly. Not only that, I've made sure to look well into those who came in contact with our lord. Those who had no meaning have finally some worth."

"I have a more interesting plan." She said, "Our king has the right to despise them… Pitting them against his new but temporary friends should be enjoyable."

Maleficent caught on, "Oh… And what, pray tell, if the new Keyblade wielder fights and beats them? He's still a strong little pest."

"It is a risk worth taking." Kaguya started, "Not to mention, their hearts would still end up as power for our king's development."

"How is it worth taking?" Hades asked.

"They are a particularly nasty bunch." Maleficent started. "Some of them are cursed by their societies or actual curses. Others are mad with simple and objective things, and several are drunk with power. But to say that the brat has a chance to go unscathed is laughable. After all, there's always our backup plan."

"And that would be…?" Hades started, but when he just got smirks the god got irritated, "Come on, ladies, spill it out. Please, while I'm still in time to watch the next batch of souls make it to the Underworld."

"You are as us, immortal. I believe you can wait and see." Maleficent taunted him.

"Let us amuse him, my dear friend." Kaguya said as she walked to Hades, "Those hearts of theirs are quite powerful and rich with darkness, and they're already mine. Even those who left that association are still a gear in the machine. So, with their power, my control over them, and our dear Maleficent's ways with the powers of the darkest side of a heart… We could have a very interesting batch of soldiers."

Hades grinned, "More fuel to make that little king grow common sense… and kill those who need to be killed. Oh, I am getting some good shivers down my spine like the first time I had an undead party!"

Iago for his part grumbled, "Yeah, like I'm gonna stick around for you to have another." He said as he started to walk back, using his claws to feel the exterior and lower part of his cage, trying to find the screws.

 **ALL**

 **THE**

 **FOOLS**

 **WHO**

 **DARE**

 **TAKE**

 **HIM**

 **FROM**

 **ME**

 **SHALL**

 **PERISH**

"Something on yer mind, Sora?"

Back in Traverse Town, the brunet turned to Goofy with a small grin, "Yeah, I feel like… something's changed. How to put it…?" he looked up, as if to ask the night sky for ideas, "It's as if I know everyone's doing well wherever they are. But I still can't shake the feeling that them doing their best means I got to do more."

"We could've told you that." Donald's snarky remark angered the boy.

"I'm serious!" Sora exclaimed, "I feel like we need to step up our game. They're doing everything they can to help themselves and us too, so I want to do something soon besides talking to Merlin for info."

"You truly intrigue me, boy." A condescending male voice said high above them, "You think you can match my liege, yet you do not understand how outmatched you would be in his and my world."

Sora turned his head and instantly recognized the blob smiling creepily at them, "What the…? Your world is Naruto's?" his eyes narrowed, "Are you with Kaguya?"

The blob chuckled at him, "Everyone's playing their own games, to a point where I can't get far behind. As much as many want to see you act foolishly, we can't risk anything. Friendship, especially one like yours with my lord, is very dangerous. He needn't a feline wench, jesters, or third-rate concubines in his court. That is why I came to tell you that you are of no use, but you could be useful to the light… if you can kill him."

Sora frowned and pulled out his Keyblade, "Sounds to me like you need a reality check. Last I checked, all answers to that kind of thing was a big no. If you think we'll change our minds, you're delusional!"

His taunt made the blob's smile widen maliciously, "I see you wielders of the light are still as infuriating as ever. Well then, allow me to illuminate the truth for you." He jumped in front of them, taking a humanoid form, "Strike me if you so desire, but you need to understand you have a duty to take care of…" he slid a thumb across his neck, chuckling, "You are born to kill the King of Darkness, as all who came before you!"

"What!?" Sora exclaimed before frowning again, "You think I'm seriously going to buy that!?"

"It is written in stone, light and darkness have never coexisted…" the blob leaned back, "Do you think you can allow yourself to watch over him, stand by his side, and encourage him? You should know that whenever he turns, you can't let him run rampant. Would you live with yourself knowing he could kill his loved ones and others if he became a failure of a King of Darkness like the ones before him?"

"Like we'd let that happen!" Donald squawked angrily.

Goofy nodded, "We ain't lettin' some nasty fella like you harm anyone."

"Oh, would you let him eat your most beloved's heart?" Sora paused, and hated himself for it when the blob's grin widened, "You see, and I can't allow that. After all, you will end up trying to kill my lord. You may succeed, you may fail, but your ties to him aren't needed. He has to experience even more darkness!"

Sora ground his teeth, "I'm tired of listening to you talk, so bring it on!"

"Very well then! You shall be put you down for the sake of the king's future!"

After he said that, pillars of rock shot through the streets, blocking all exits for the trio. They turned to Zetsu as the ground continued to shake, and saw he was accompanied. A large and rather fat looking humanoid was at his side. It had long orange hair down his back, a sleeveless shirt, and a mark Naruto came to hate: that of the Sound village. However, it wasn't the same earth-controlling shinobi who first halted his attempt to rescue Sasuke, it was a Heartless. The face was pitch black and had two yellow beady eyes, a red jagged grin, and tusks on the sides.

His arms were longer and thicker, but it was the remains of that one elite member under Orochimaru's rule, "Tayuya…?" he asked as if in a trance.

"Still clinging, huh?" Zetsu asked rhetorically before snapping his fingers.

The Heartless slammed his palms on the ground to shoot out spikes that would have skewered the three odd heroes had they not rolled out of the way in Sora's case or stood behind a magic shield in the others'. Sora was quick to race at him, jumping over a spike to use it as a step to jump even higher and bring down his Keyblade on Shadow Jirobo. The former Sound Four member brought up his meaty arm, blocking the blade, though cringing as it hurt his now Heartless body. However, he was far stronger than he looked.

"Tayuya!" he screamed and flung Sora across their small arena.

"Urgh, did Naruto really face guys like this!?" he asked and saw he was about to hit one of the walls.

Thinking fast, the brunet rolled around, let his feet take the impact, and jumped down. Jirobo for his part wasn't going to let him have it easy and charged after his target as if it'd keep him alive. Once again, the boy was between a rock and a hard to beat opponent. He was thinking of raising his sword to block the strike, but that kind of idea was shot down by remembering that he hit like a truck. He was thankfully brought back to reality when a familiar shield smacked the Heartless at the back of the head.

"Be reasonable, big feller, he ain't this Ta-you-ya yer lookin' for." Goofy tried to reason, but he had only angered him.

"Tayu… Tayuya!" he charged at the large dog, grabbing the ground.

Goofy gaped when seeing Shadow Jirobo lift a boulder off the ground like it was paper. The Heartless singlehandedly chucked it at the guardian, who instinctively put all the weight behind his shield to take the hit. And just as he had done for Sora, the boy and the small wizard helped their taller friend. With matching fire spells shot at different angels, they managed to throw the boulder off course, which hit the ground away from a very relieved Goofy. But Jirobo was still acting like a Heartless, and went once again after Sora.

"What a stubborn jerk!" Donald shouted and cast a lightning spell on the Heartless, and it hurt, "Huh!?"

"T-Tayuya…" Jirobo gasped as he slowed down, his legs shaking. And yet, he still kept trying to hit Sora.

Seeing him slow down, the boy ducked under a meaty fist and brought up his Keyblade, slashing Shadow Jirobo across the chest, "Back off!" he shouted and resumed slashing. A diagonal cut followed by a stab and it all ended with him jumping with the Keyblade above his head and bringing it down on Jirobo's face.

"He got him!" Goofy cheered.

Donald trembled, "No, he doesn't!"

"What!?" Sora gasped when seeing Jirobo catch his Keyblade with his teeth!

Without letting go despite the strain on his new set of fangs, Jirobo grabbed Sora's arms with enough strength to nearly crush his bones in his hands. Sora gasped as the Heartless lifted him in the air and he knew he'd meet the ground painfully. But just as he was above Shadow Jirobo's head, Goofy saw some of the spikes on the floor and observed the angle they were inclined. The captain threw his shield at the nearest one, jumped on it, and slid straight at Jirobo like he were skating to slam the shield on both his kneecaps.

"Grrraaaaaaaaaaargh!"

The pained if low growl showed that Goofy just angered him, but Jirobo had loosened his bite on the Keyblade and his grip on its wielder. Finally given more room to move, Sora immediately kicked him in the face. Jirobo let go of him, letting the boy and the captain get some distance while the wizard had finished preparing a spell.

"Freeze!" Donald shouted, ice shooting out of his rod and getting Jirobo's bruised knees. With him in place, he turned to Sora, who nodded and shouted along him, "Thunder!"

Jirobo screamed as he was hit once again by lightning, falling face down, yet not out. As the trio raced to attack him as one, the Heartless roared in pure rage, "TAYUYA!" he slammed his hands on the ground, which shot up around the three odd fighters, trapping them inside a rock dome.

Zetsu cackled, "It was only a matter of time this happened." He patted the dome, "Jirobo used this technique to feed of others' chakra, but now he'll use it to feast on your hearts."

"Gah!" he heard from inside the boy screaming as energy from his chest left him and went to the dome's walls.

"Yeouch!" Goofy fell to his knees as he too was under the pain.

"D-Dang it!" Donald cursed as he fell flat on his tailfeathers.

Zetsu rubbed the dome affectionately, "Just wait until all is said and done. Mother will be proud to make you three fine Heartless like this one to serve our king. But you can't hear me, can you? Well, it doesn't even matter. After all, you wanted to be friends with my liege. The only way to do so when Mother has plans for his coronation is as her ally or his newest Heartless pet. And once you're done, that girl and boy who were with you to share that unneeded light will be next."

Sora fell face down, clutching his heart, "What's… happening…" he clenched the Keyblade, "Come on… I can't… I won't…" he remembered Riku, Kairi and Naruto, "We promised we'd go on a trip."

As everything started to turn dark, he watched Donald and Goofy losing their energy. It broke his heart to see them in pain, it made him mad…

And yet, there was something in him that kept him moving.

 **WHAT**

 **ARE**

 **YOU**

 **DOING**

 **? ? ?**

Sora opened his eyes, finding himself in a crystal platform. Under his feet was a large image of himself resting with the Keyblade in his hand. On the side were pictures of his friends: Kairi, Riku, Donald, and Goofy. A gasp escaped him as he noticed another connected to his by crystal steps. It felt surreal but familiar, as if he had a dream about it. But, without much to do, he crossed the steps and found it.

On the other platform was Naruto with his incomplete Keyblade in his chest, piercing his heart. He had pictures of his friends too, including his current party. But something was missing, or someone. Sora looked, a little walk around showed no image of himself. Since he considered the blond a good if not a great friend, he assumed he'd see him along his other friends. But Naruto obviously cared for him, so to not see an image of himself made Sora worry.

"Hello…" said a woman's voice, weakly. The brunet turned to see the Light herself, sitting down and panting, "Forgive me for not greeting you properly, my child. Time is slipping by."

"Who are you and what's even going on?" his questions seemed to pain her.

Her eyes looked away from his, "I am undeserving to answer you after all the problems I've caused you and your friends. But I need you to listen." She aimed a finger at the Keyblade in his hands, "That very weapon you have. No, that key. It was born along one of pure darkness. Twins. Both different, both born from people worlds apart, and both wielders having experienced lives who couldn't be any different."

"So my Keyblade and Naruto's are… connected?" he asked, confused.

"You who gave him light and he who tried to help you in your moment of darkness… You formed a bond beyond comprehension despite your brief encounter." She smiled, "If only all could be like you two… But I'm digressing. Listen, Sora. You two are bond by a cruel whim of fate. And yet, it's almost kind. Once you two met, destiny stopped dictating his life, and you helped him make his own. It is now certain to me that your heart and his may as well form the bridge between light and darkness."

"Darkness…" he whispered, looking at his hand, "Do you think…?"

"He holds on to his light to control his darkness, and you struggle through shadows to find a ray of hope." She panted, but chuckled weakly, "It is… amazing… How far a true act of friendship can go… Sora, I beg of you, do not fear the darkness. It is a part of all of us, so embrace it. After all, you may be a simple boy, but you could become King of the Light."

"King of…"

Sora gasped as he opened his eyes inside the dome, clutching his Keyblade tighter, "I… am not falling here…" he stood up, and walked to a part where he felt his energy was being drained the hardest.

Zetsu watched Jirobo grimace, "What's the matter?"

Inside, Sora growled, his Keyblade pulsing with light and darkness, a blue flame coating it, "I'm going to see my friends again so we can have that adventure we promised each other! Together!"

Aiming the tip at the spot where Jirobo was, Sora fired a powerful blend of light and dark fire, which burst right through the wall and blasted the Heartless off into the walls he created!

Zetsu gaped, his body trembling as he watched Sora pant and walk on shaky legs outside the dome while Donald and Goofy followed him.

' _W-What is this feeling? What was that? This sensation… is it fear? No!_ ' Zetsu's eyes widened, ' _This boy has the makings of a king not of darkness but of light! Mother warned me about him! What do I do!?_ '

Jirobo struggled to get back on his feet, "Tayuya… where…?" Zetsu gasped when seeing the Heartless' eyes change, turning human.

"Damn you, boy!" he moved to Jirobo, covering his body like a second skin, as if possessing him, "I will return to settle the score with you, O King of Light!"

"What was all that about?" Goofy asked, still tired.

"Beats me." Donald sat down, using his hat to fan himself, "But we made them run off."

"Still, what was that you did, Sora?" Goofy asked, but got no response, "Sora?"

There was a low snore from the Keyblade wielder face down on the floor, "Oh what now?" Donald walked to the boy, whacking him lightly on the head with his rod, "He's sleep like a log."

"Better take him to Miss Aerith." Goofy said as he gave the boy a piggyback ride, "Oof, he is a bit heavy for being so small."

"Well, take care not to drop him." Donald said an examined his Keyblade still in the boy's grip, "What he did just now… We must talk to Leon."

 **I**

 **SHALL**

 **NOT**

 **ACCEPT**

 **AS**

 **BUFFOON**

 **AS**

 **AN**

 **EQUAL**

 **TO**

 **MY**

 **KING**

 **! ! !**

"Freedom at last!" Iago cheered as he walked through some vents in Maleficent's lair, "I must get back to that library, get info on the story of those two kings, and free the boy from that bunny's brain washing. Yeah, and on the way maybe I can join a circus and make it big enough to have a harem of chicks tending to my every word!"

He kicked one of the walls and groaned, this was definitely way over his head.

However, some voices brought his attention to a panel at his side, "He… did what?"

Maleficent didn't sound pleased, neither did Kaguya, "I had a feeling they got those Keyblades at the same time, but never did I think he'd have the potential. I figured it was that girl's heart that was trapped in him, not his own doing."

"Are you sure you can still control the future king?" Maleficent asked, dead serious.

"I've worked on this plan for centuries. I practically raised him." She growled, "I can enter his heart with ease, but all I need is to be there at the right moment."

"That girl who bested me years ago stopped you, so something must be done with her." Maleficent clenched her staff tight enough to make a few of her knuckles pop, "But a King of Light?"

"It's a title given to those who unite the hearts of many under the light, nothing else." Kaguya growled, "If anything, it's another way the light created shadows. Pulling all under a single person's radiance and leaving the unlucky ones forever forgotten in their darkness."

"If we truly made his face and that of our dear future king one, what shall we do?" the green horned woman showed an odd sign of comradery by placing her hand on the three-eyed one's shoulder.

"We shall make him our king's first sacrifice." Kaguya told her, "It doesn't matter the outcome, both kings always fight. But never have those of the light faced a true ruler of darkness."

"Ah yes, the fabled power of a True Dark King." Maleficent nearly moaned, "I could hear you speak of that potential on the boy when you first held his heart in your hand."

Kaguya grinned, a slight tint of pink on her cheeks, "It was beyond marvelous. As if it was trying to steal my heart yet commanding all around it. Truly our future king is a good catch."

"Ew…" Iago grumbled, but shook his head, "I better do something before she ruins this nearly family-friendly story."

 **XXXXXX**

And that's my rap!

I am so sorry that it's taken this long to pull out this chapter, but I had no idea what to do for a while, was feeling depressed and my writing habits of being a spaz who writes what first comes to mind didn't help. So, I settled on giving Kairi and Sora some much needed screen time. I did get some complaints that Sora is underpowered when compared to Naruto, but I already had the idea of making him fight Naruto-verse enemies to show he can be on par with his friend.

As for future fights, I'll try to keep them more tactical than having characters win them because they have magic or stuff. I know it's hypocritical to say so after what I had Sora do, so have some patience. I will get to parts where power levels won't be needed. Because that's a trap canon Naruto fell into. The good thing with Disney and Square Enix villains is that I can use them and their ridiculous powers to give all characters a challenge. Hey, Kairi has to fight Bill, who can only beaten by being outsmarted.

Anyway, another reason I haven't written much is due to a guy I once called a friend. I don't know if he uses multiple accounts or there's different guys, but I've gotten lots of hate reviews calling me a Kishimoto lover when they couldn't be further from the truth. I like some ideas, not the writing style or the way they're delivered. Besides, I don't want to make Naruto too OOC. I always wanted to see him grow from being a doofus into a proper fighter and warrior who understands when someone's too evil to let them walk away with a slap to their wrist.

But apparently, no matter what I tell these guys, it seems I'll always be a Kishimoto lover to them, a hypocrite, and that I should die. No kidding, their reviews got that bad. Listen, I just write for fun. But after seeing their comments and how they wouldn't listen to me, I had to block them. I wanted to let bygones be bygones, but the constant anger they threw was depressing. Not to say I was depressed by it, just saddened that we couldn't talk, try to find some common ground, and at least attempt to be civilized.

Anyway, sorry for being a downer. I will write the next chapter as Naruto's adventure with a certain little mermaid.

Swordslinger out!


	19. To new seas

I OWN NOTHING

Time to keep on moving forward into whatever new madness I can come up with for this fic. I will keep trying my best, but don't expect complexity from a guy who runs on happy thoughts.

 **ONLY**

 **YOU**

 **ARE**

 **WORTHY**

 **OF**

 **BEING**

 **KING**

 **OF**

 **ALL**

"So, a new world already?"

Naruto turned to his friends, and then to his wings.

"You sound sad." Terra noted.

"Well, I can fly- well, glide…" he tried to speak, but seeing Connie step in with her head still under an arm, he sighed in defeat, "I'm going to miss this world for that."

"Yeah, can't blame you for not wanting to give up a cool ability like that." Steven said with a sagely nod, earning him strange looks from the others, "Trust me, I've had the experience."

"Meh." Stitch said before blinking and pulling Naruto's leg, pointing to a fully healed up Jack.

"Thanks for everything, my friends." The jolly skeleton told them, bowing his head.

"Worry not, it's part of our job to help others." Connie replied with a small smile.

"Safe travels is all we can wish for you." Sally said as she walked behind the skeleton, "We shall wait for your return if you decide to enjoy Halloween with us."

"You're always welcome along Sora." The Pumpkin King cheered, clapping his bony hands, "Oh, I just can't wait to share some new ideas I have with him after our introduction!"

"It appears you're a true artist, never resting when inspired." Alice told him with a polite smile.

"I'll make sure he doesn't get in over his head." Sally told them.

"Please do." Everyone asked her politely, even Stitch.

"As will I." Demona told them as she walked to the group, patting the dark Keyblade wielder's shoulder, "I think I'll stick around you a bit longer… you're amusing to me."

Naruto grinned, "Sure, it'd be nice to learn more from you. Hope you don't mind traveling too much Demona."

Giving him a grin, the redhead gargoyle felt in better spirits, though contained her anger when seeing the girls close to him approach the young king, "Of course, I'm enthralled to travel with you. You lead an interesting life, as do your friends..." She told them sweetly, but inwardly she meant something else, ' _Treasure this moment of kindness, for you will understand I know no mercy when it comes to wenches like you._ '

"Worry not, we have had enough times telling him not to worry." Alice said with a small smile.

"He should finally get it, though." Jasmine playfully jabbed.

"It makes me a bit jealous that he gets so much attention…" Terra said, although whether it was playful or truthful was anyone's guess.

"Come on, if I worry it's because of you." He said, grinning with a faint blush that three specific girls shared when he said it, "Well then, let's go. We'll see you again, guys!" He said to Jack, Demona preparing to get going with them.

After waving goodbye and opening a portal to the new world, the group tensed up as they didn't like what Mirage was hinting at. For some of them it was very fortunate to finally be back on their normal forms. Dark Corridors had plenty of space for them to move, and the genie princess had more than enough to turn them back to normal. However, there was a certain change on some of them.

"Uh… Naruto, do you notice anything strange on your forehead?" Steven asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Like what…?" Naruto started to ask before touching up, feeling something under his hood. Pulling it back, he showed everyone that Shada was sleeping on his head with the compass in her tiny hands, "She's getting way too attached to me." he mumbled softly before taking the compass from her very small claws.

Connie tilted her head to stare at it, "After all she did, how long will she keep on sleeping?"

"It's anyone's guess, she must have been sleeping when she got on his forehead." Terra said, having seen it.

Demona looked bemused by this, announcing aloud with a slightly dry tone, "You share a particularly close affinity to the darkness Naruto. She's an adorable little one." She said even as inwardly she just preened to herself smugly, _'Yes, link yourself to the darkness, and abandon the wretched light that has betrayed you and I so many times. She has nothing to offer you, but the darkness and I have everything to show you.'_

Kindly grabbing her by the dark matter that was the scruff of her back, Naruto put the small Heartless into a pocket inside his cloak, "She's also attracted to this. If Mirage gave it to us and Shada's interested in it…" he let the others catch on to his train of thought, it didn't take long.

"We break it the moment we arrive to this new world." Jasmine offered.

"A compass to go to one of Maleficent and Kaguya's allies…" Naruto opened it, seeing the arrow point to his right in the dark path.

"Should we trust that wicked feline?" Alice asked. "Truth be told, she wants us to get rid of our common enemies, but she's a crafty one."

"Do we have another clue of where to go?" the blond asked tiredly.

Demona rubbed the side of her long red hair, musing aloud to him, "Perhaps the compass will prove a useful way to find our objective. Even if it was given to you by that… wretched Mirage." She let a little of her true opinion bleed out into her comment, Naruto grimacing himself at the thought of the twisted cat.

Everyone looked down before they followed the compass, which ended at an open portal that led them right into the light of the sun… right above the ocean.

"Naga-na!" Stitch exclaimed as he clung to Steven's head in fear, shaking like a leaf as they fell into the water while Demona, mentally kicking herself for not using her wings to slow her descent.

All were quick to swim up, though Alice and Jasmine had to be helped by Terra, Connie, and Naruto. Steven managed to stay up despite the horrified, wet blue alien on his skull.

"Jasmine, a ship!" Naruto called and soon the party was panting and gasping in a wooden boat. Surprisingly, Shada remained glued to his head, still soundly sleep, "She's one heavy sleeper."

"Is everyone alright?" Terra asked as she helped Alice and Jasmine to heal.

"Yeah, I've only seen that much water once, from my tears…" the petite blonde wasn't joking.

"I never thought I'd see such a large lake in my life." The dusky skinned princess commented.

Demona's eyes were a bright glowing red, which combined with her deep blush, she was well and truly embarrassed. Naruto was blushing himself as she covered her body with her wings, forming a shroud with them. Those torn rags she wore left nothing to the imagination… Especially not wet enough to cling to her skin, yet at least they didn't show too much. Thankfully he didn't see anything more than a little bit of flesh.

Stitch spat some water and groaned, "Ugh… Stitch hate water."

"I can tell…" Steven said as he rubbed his scratched cheeks, but he wasn't mad, just tired, "What happened to make you so afraid?"

"Nearly drown." The blue critter answered.

"Oh, sorry to hear that." Connie told the smallest party member, rubbing his head.

"Ish good." He said as he rested on the boat.

"Well, I'm not trusting this thing ever again." Naruto said as he stood up, held the compass tightly in his grip, and got ready to toss it… If not for Terra catching his wrist, "Wait, what!?"

"Look!" she told him, pointing to the compass.

He held it vertically, as opposed to how it usually had to be held, and noted that the arrow was pointing down into the ocean.

"No way, we have to go deep into the water?" Alice was baffled, "How is that possible? Wouldn't this person drown?"

"Maybe they live in an underwater city with a large air dome." Steven told her, earning questioning looks from the others, "I've seen one already."

Demona looked at the water again with some distaste, saying aloud, "We Gargoyles are meant for the skies and the cliffs, not below the waves… but if you wish to go there, I suppose we'll have to…"

"Whatever the case, if we're supposed to go down…" Terra looked around at her friends/rivals, "The question is how. If you two can't swim that well… what do we do?"

Alice noticed her concern, touched despite the two's competition for their whiskered crush's affection, "We can come up with something. Your magic and Jasmine's should suffice."

Jasmine knew the girls were too good as friends to lose them, even if she herself was deeply attached to the future dark king, "Well, I may be a genie of the ring, but I could use some help this time."

Terra nodded, "I do know a spell, but it'll take more than your help." She turned to Alice, the blonde nodding and walking to them, "Your light magic should add a boost."

Demona hid a disgusted expression, changing her form to a more ignoble and disgusting state, with light magic no less?!

' _Perish the thought that I let you do this to me more than what is necessary! You wretched little children of light!'_ she spoke up, "I possess my own ways to travel to other realms. Using your magic may be harmful, too. I shall meet you down and wish you the best of luck…" she nodded at them before diving in.

"Alright, it seems we're in this one together." Connie said as she walked forward.

The others walked to them, albeit reluctantly in Stitch's case, "Don't worry, if it's too bad, I can help you swim up." Steven told him.

"Thanks." The small alien nodded.

The two princesses and the Esper girl put their hands together, gathering each other's energy and trying to focus on what a suitable form for everyone would be for underwater adventures.

A flash of light, and they all dropped into the water, save for Demona.

"Whoa! Naga-ni Watawi Sharky! If Lilo, and Nani peeka Stitch now! ALOHA~!" Stitch was the first to really like his transformation.

The blue critter now possessed smooth even furless skin, his teeth having multiplied to the tone of three rows of hyper jagged looking teeth. His six arms had fused together with four massive blade-like fins and webbed feet, his legs had morphed into a short and stubby but quite dangerous looking axe like shark tail. And his spines had changed into a long row of dorsal fins. In short, he changed into a shark. Obviously, he liked it a lot as he was rolling around in circles and zipping around rapidly.

"W-Well!" Alice blushed as she was now, to put it simply, quite daringly attired.

Her outfit had changed quite a good deal. She was now wearing little more than a blue bikini top which hid nothing of her developing body, while her body had completely changed. Her skirt had changed into a massive and blossoming jelly fish bell, with slender even gentle looking tentacles dangling below her, forming the semblance of legs. Her skin was in full display for the water to shine on it while her hair flowed around, barely kept in place with her black tiara. That combined with the fact that she was quite pretty despite her lower body changing made it seem like she wore far less than she really was.

"WHOA~! This is so cool!" Spinning about like a massive flail were two huge clam shells that opened rapidly.

Inside one could see Steven's gem set in a pink upper body, Steven's own torso being the 'tongue' of the clam. Each arm held one individual shell up, which seemed to adjust themselves seamlessly so he could cross his arms while sitting cross-legged to an extent. He was shirtless but had blue shorts while his feet had become long fins and his head had a shiny and glimmering silvery white helmet, a pearl so to speak.

"I guess it's somewhat interesting Steven, but c-could you not stare too much at me?" Like Alice, Connie was now dressed quite daringly.

To put it simply she wore little more than a pair of clam shells for her bikini top, while her lower body had changed into a long and quite impressive swordfish tail, giving her a sleek and even rapid looking appearance. Colored a deep black, her sword had even become a rapier in design and length, mirroring her current appearance. Her hair was worn in its braid state.

"It's the best I could do, you know." Jasmine was blushing herself, she was used to wearing little, but to her as she was right now, she was more than a little intimidated by her current appearance.

She possessed a long and slender spine covered tail, arrayed over it were a dazzling amount of lights, many of them glowing bright in the water. She had changed into a deep-sea fish, a dragon fish to be exact. Combined with the fact that she wore only a pair of seashells over her more than impressive breasts, even with a thin line of light linked to Naruto, she was quite embarrassed.

"Well, it's quite… um… different from my usual outfit." Terra blushed as her breasts were covered by a pink fur bra, and had her arms wrapped around her slender stomach.

Her lower body was covered in fur much like her Esper form, but she now possessed a massive seal tail instead of legs, similar to a selkie, basically a Scottish mermaid. Her arms were fur covered from her elbows to her fingers, like gloves. On top of that, her long hair had grown even longer, she possessed distinctly sharp teeth.

"I'm a dragon!? COOL!" Naruto was the most pleased next to Steven and Stitch, as his entire lower body had been replaced by a radiant and even majestic lower body of a Chinese Dragon.

He had a humanoid body with a dragon's tail with a golden tuft of fur at the end. Every inch of his body was covered by dark purple scales with a lighter shade for his chest and abs. That coupled with a long flowing blonde mane gave him a particularly kingly appearance. His arms were replaced with draconic talons while his feet had become webbed. His hair had two longer golden strands going behind his back, complete with a pair of spiraling white antlers above his head that shone a pearl. He admired his dragon body, even wiggling his tail tip for good measure. Also, he'd be completely nude if not for a pair of black shorts.

"I see you are doing well." Demona told them, using her wings like fins to move in the water while an air bubble surrounded her head. On her arms was the sleeping Shada, surprising the others.

"Wait, you could have just done that from the start?" Alice asked, a brow arched, "Why didn't you share that spell with us?"

Demona flapped her wings, swimming to her in a split second, "Could you move like this with your own human body?"

"Fair point, I'll humbly admit." The girl nodded. "Still, why do our forms have to be so… odd?"

"It's the best we could manage being outsiders." Terra answered.

"Well, it works." Steven said as he used his legs to swim, finding that the webbed feet really helped, "Where to now?"

The current purple dragon held up the compass, "That way. Oh, and could you give me Shada back?"

Demona smirked as she followed them closely, "Oh, I was getting attached to the little one. Well, I would give you her if you can answer a question. Can you swim without her falling off?"

 **GUIDE**

 **HIM**

 **TO**

 **ME**

 **AND**

 **HIS**

 **TRUE**

 **FUTURE**

As the party swam forward with some slight effort, a lovely visage was swimming in a ship cemetery, looking around a large sunken Spanish galleon in search for treasure. It was in the captain room that this lone figure found something worth looking in a drawer. However, despite finding a lovely gold ring with a perfectly crafted diamond, she tossed it and examined the box it was in instead. The figure was marveled at the box, opening and closing it while trying to decipher what it could be like.

"I never saw a container for those shiny things before." she said with a wonderful voice to woo any man.

Another voice, slightly scared, talked, "Are you sure it's good to toss this finger loop?" a yellow and blue fish asked her.

"Come on, Flounder, I got tons of those. Besides, this small container is pretty." She said with a smile, "I could put one of those finger loops in to make it look prettier."

"I'll never understand you, Ariel." The fish told her.

Beautiful, long, flowing hair flowed in the water as Ariel turned. Her visage could make any man surrender. Gorgeous and large eyes of a deep blue like the sea, fair skin slightly tanned yet soft to the touch, and ruby red lips entranced many and made far more jealous. With a slender but fit body due to years of swimming, two purple shells acting as her bra – her only piece of clothing – and a majestic green tail, she was quite a dream made true. She was sixteen, and yet she had assets fitting more mature women.

"We really should get going." Flounder urged her, "Those beasts have been seen around here lately after the crash to find humans to eat. You don't want to... You're not listening to me, are you?"

"I am, but you worry too much." Ariel said, swimming forward, "Didn't you listen to Daddy? He's been keeping them at bay. This area should be free."

Flounder put on a sour expression, "Oh, so you only listen to your dad when it's convenient." Then he pleaded again as she started to move away, "Please, reconsider it. They could get back."

"Listen, if they do come we just have to lay low until they get slower." She told him, "They may never stop swimming, but they always slow down to rest."

"This is the worst plan ever." Flounder didn't want to, but he whined and followed his friend.

Ariel went back to search in another room through wardrobes, cupboards, desks and drawers to find more treasure. Though while she was doing so, she suddenly heard something rush behind her.

"Flounder?" Looking round, she saw nothing. Worrying at the sudden disappearing of her friend, she swam around. "Are you there?" she called out to the water, but no answer came.

Slowly, a sense of dread crept up her spine, but she wouldn't leave her friend alone. Swimming directionless around the deadly silent ship, she looked over at one of the many large crystal windows that showed the sailors the sea. There was nothing but empty waters and rocks outside. There was still light since the sun remained above her, but the depth that the ship rested at obscured it somewhat.

"Ariel…" she heard him whisper.

"Where are you?" the mermaid asked.

She decided to head towards the sound of her friend's voice, wondering where he had disappeared into. With how eerie everything was, she intended to grab him and leave…

"Shark!" he shouted and she instinctively moved to a nearby room.

Leaving was not going to be easy anymore. A gigantic creature crashed through the wall of the room she swam into, biting into the door and tearing it off its hinges. What Ariel saw was the creature's large form trying to fit through the door with its enormous mouth open. As it slowly lifted pushed itself in, Ariel bit her lower lip in fear at the sight of an enormous sharp that could swallow half her body in a single bite!

"Oh no, no, no, no!" she panicked, trying to find a way out of the small room she got into.

Maws wide open, it wasted no time to go after her to finally eat after a long day of swimming. It crashed through, making her yelp as she barely had time to react. The little mermaid swam up, letting it crash on the wall behind her before she used her tail to kick it away from her. But the beast was a stubborn shark, and simply didn't stop its chase. After crashing, it swam around and followed the poor girl. Chomping its way forward as Ariel kept her distance away from the jaws snapping at her fin.

Swimming blind while chased wasn't getting her anywhere. The adrenaline rush could only take Ariel so far as she flapped her fin as fast as possible to escape the shark. She tried to find a way out, but the sound of jaws snapping behind her made it hard to focus on anything but keeping her distance. By keeping close behind Ariel, the shark was starting to corner her, forcing her to go through the first branching path she found to try to get to the deck as she did.

Unfortunately, she knew her strategy was flawed and wouldn't even before she found herself in the captain's quarters once again. The shark crashed into the doorframe, biting into it to get to her. Ariel rushed to the window, banging on it in hopes to break it. Seeing that her fists didn't do the work and hearing the shark tearing through the wood, she swam to the desk, grabbed a chair, and started to smash the crystal, getting it to crack. She kept hitting it, trying to make it shatter, but the instant she got a bigger crack the sound of wood being torn apart reached her.

"No, no, no!" Ariel kept hitting it with all her might… until the wooden, moldy chair broke. She was cornered and vulnerable. "F-Flounder! FLOUNDER!"

She shouted her friend's name, hoping he'd do anything, call for help, whatever the fish could think of. But the shark was already inside and it swam forwards with its mouth open, sinking its teeth right into…

"Back off!" shouted a creature she hadn't seen before, using a weapon that the shark bit into but was unable to break.

She gasped, "A sea dragon!?"

"There she is!" Flounder shouted, followed by some odd creatures.

"He sure is fast." Said a jellyfish girl with blonde hair.

"Dragons are rulers of many things, so that overgrown sardine is in for trouble." A redhead creature holding a black bundle in her arms commented with a smirk.

"I'm still helping!" Steven said as he swiftly swam to tackle the beast on the side, right on the gills.

Little known fact: shark gills are very sensitive. It let go of the sword, leaving itself exposed for the team's physically strongest ally.

"Bye!" The tiny blue creature declared moments before upper-cutting the shark.

"My turn!" the dragon boy whirled his odd weapon in his hand through the water, forming an underwater twister that spun around the blade. With a smirk, he threw a dark fireball that struck the shark's underside, launching it up and making it try to right itself!

"And now, the finale!" said a dark-skinned girl with a rapier.

Not a moment later, she shot past it, slamming the full length of her sword into the shark's stomach. It shuddered once, twice, then thrashed out from the pain before swimming away from the group. The small and young swordswoman was surprised that her blade didn't draw blood. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that its wound was closing as it opened its maw to bite into her.

"Oh no you don't!" Steven was quick to swim at her side, letting his new arms take the bite and grinning at the shells' resistance. "He's wide open!"

"Blizzaga!" a mermaid with pink furry tail and arms exclaimed, shooting ice spikes that pushed back the creature, "Is everyone alright!? What's that thing!?"

"Be careful, that shark's body is possessed by darkness!" Ariel warned them, "My father can deal with it, but attacks won't affect it. Its body is as strong as a rock."

"Any idea how we can deal with it?" Demona asked, not keen on losing a limb to a mindless dark creature, least of all an animal without self-awareness.

"My dad uses powerful lightning spells." The mermaid told them.

Flounder panicked, "Unless you guys can compare with the king, we better swim away!"

"That'll be easy." The dragon boy grinned, "Jasmine, you heard that!?"

"You needn't tell me your wish!" shouted the one in the group that had taken more time swimming due to the lack of water in her world.

Ariel and Flounder watched in amazement as the dusky skinned mermaid with a long ponytail threw a lightning ball directly at the shark's opened mouth, shocking it. The jellyfish girl nodded to the green-haired one, a Keyblade up in the former's hand and lightning on the second's. Even the dragon boy brought up his sword, summoning dark lightning. All three fired as one with a combined triple lightning spell. They struck the shark where their friend had, making it roar in pain before it fell to the floor, lifeless.

Pouting in slight disappointment, Connie lowered her sword, "Well, that was oddly easy."

"I guess our magic packs quite the punch." Jasmine boasted with a smile, hands on her hips.

"Not as powerful as a full-fledged genie, though." Demona was quick to burst her bubble, pun unintended.

"Fortunately, it worked." Terra said with a relieved sigh.

"Such a brute beast was tainted by darkness, who knows what else is." Alice told them.

Flounder didn't like the idea, "What if he's got friends!? Listen guys, thanks for the help, but Ariel and I got to go!"

"Alone?" the blond boy asked, dispelling his sword as he walked to the red-haired mermaid.

By taking in his features and the weird cloth, Ariel could tell there was something odder than him being a sea dragon. It was otherworldly. Adding to that the way everyone looked and how they seemed to have a bit of trouble swimming, she eyed them curiously. Curiosity could be good or bad, but hers pushed her to do things that would make any father have three heart attacks at once.

"Would you like to come with us?" she asked, swimming around the blond, who tried to follow her and stared a bit longer than he should, "I've never seen a dragon before. And you're the second oddest group of sea people I've seen around." She playfully smiled at them, "Are you perhaps from very far off waters? It'd explain why you have trouble swimming here."

Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto didn't want to alert her of what he really was, and noticing the other's faces they too wished to avoid suspicions. Demona would make explanations a bit hard, but they could manage a decent lie. Not that they were proud of keeping things a secret, even more with how they agreed that the balance thing Donald talked about was a bunch of nonsense.

But things worked in a funny way, "We're from other worlds." Demona told her fellow redhead bluntly.

Everyone cringed as if they had broken someone's favorite china set while Ariel looked ready to squeal in delight, "I knew it! You are like Sora, Donald and Goofy!"

"Wait, you met them!?" Naruto asked in surprise.

Ariel beamed, "Since I do, mind telling me a couple things?"

"What's on your mind?" Alice asked with a tilt of her head.

Demona tried not to bare her sharp teeth, but took a moment to look away to do so, ' _It's my intention to bring him to darkness, but he seems to find a way to the light._ ' She caressed Shada's head affectionately, as if she were her own egg, ' _You may be a hatchling, but I shall make you into a fierce warrior. You will be a knight fit for the true king of all._ '

 **THEIR**

 **HEARTS**

 **OF**

 **LIGHT**

 **WILL**

 **FEED**

 **US**

As their current guide helped the group travel through the sea, she started explaining to them what was going on.

"At first I had a feeling they were keeping a secret." She told them, "It's not like mermen like them are common. Not to mention the fact they had that odd line about not knowing how to swim in calm waters."

Rubbing the back of his scaly head, Naruto sighed, "Yeah, Sora's not the best of liars. Then again, I'm not one to talk." He shut his eyes tight in his signature squinty-eyed thoughtful fox expression, "I've never really had a reason to lie, though."

"Then, what are your worlds like?" Ariel excitedly asked, clasping her hands as she leaned close to the party.

Poking her cheek in thought, Alice tried to come up with an explanation, "As far as I know, all I've seen besides toys were fields of grass, trees, and the forest near home. It was dull, but had its moments."

"Grass?" Ariel tilted her head curiously, "What is that?"

Terra felt confused, "Uh, you know… blades of vegetation…"

That gave Ariel's friend a bizarre idea, "You mean she lives in a world filled with swords!?"

But the redhead mermaid was ecstatic, "That sounds amazing! How do you humans move!?"

"No, it's like…" Terra tried to think of something, but crossing her arms only got her so far.

Connie swam in, "Think of short, very short seaweed that smells nice when freshly cut." She at least knew her stuff about mankind.

"What are those tree things, then?" Ariel was getting giddy as she approached the young swordswoman.

"Hmm, how to put it…?" she scratched her head, "Think of… um… brown coral… pillars with flat pieces of seaweed on them. Only that the stuff that coral is made of is what that place we found you in was built with. Am I making any sense or…" the braided fighter paused, trying to deduce what Ariel's expression was for, confusion or awe.

Suddenly, she grabbed Connie's hand, "You have to see my secret place! I need you to tell me everything you know about what I have!" Connie had seen that look in Steven's face, especially when the half-Gem boy was beyond enthusiastic. Mostly when it came about silly movies they enjoyed.

"Well, I know my stuff too." Steven tried to smile smoothly while brushing his knuckles on his chest. "For instance, that thing you have in your hands is a box, and in it there's a ring. Nice jewelry used by humans to make others look at them for being fashionable and wealthy."

"My, Steven, I never heard you be so eloquent when talking." Alice observed as respectfully as possible.

He snickered, "I tend to learn big words thanks to Connie's books. Oh, we should totally try to read a few when we have time. I'd like to see your thoughts on the finale."

"Books…?" Ariel echoed, looking very intrigued and as happy as a child at a candy store which was having a free merchandise day.

Naruto chortled, "Believe it or not, I also have trouble understanding some of that stuff." He closed his eyes as a bad memory came to haunt him, "Only books I saw were the ones at school. And even then, the only one that I was mildly curious about was written by a… Never mind."

"All worlds are different like that." Alice told the redhead to stir the conversation.

"I had never seen so much water before in mine." Jasmine added.

"Now I really want to see them all!" the mermaid giggled, barely containing her excitement.

A small smile crept to Naruto's face, "She reminds me of Sora being all giddy about new worlds like that."

"Aren't you too?" the voluptuous mermaid asked, "To see places that you aren't bound to every day, learn new things, find treasures you'd never find home… What more can you ask!?" the party expected her to dance from joy at the idea with how enthusiastic she was, "Wait until Sora arrives! I'll make sure he tells me everything about his world too! Heh, maybe I'll have to say I'll teach him how to swim properly if he just behaves and tells me."

"Now I have to wonder how he's doing…" Naruto mused to himself, "Especially if he's got a cute girl like this so happy to see him…"

Alice sighed, "Please be careful not to word it like that."

"Huh, why?" he never got to see or experience romance, which was why he was lost reading a certain perverted sage's book franchise.

Jasmine waved a hand to the blond boy, "Worry not, she's mostly interested in traveling to other worlds. It makes me feel a bit nostalgic, to be honest."

Terra smiled a bit, "The more reason you have joined in this adventure, right?"

"She could be like someone I know…" Naruto commented.

And far off, but not too far from the universe's way of balancing things…

"Achoo!" Sora woke up with a sneeze, shaking his head, "Uh… What just happened?" he asked in the rundown base that Leon and his crew were at.

Aerith's hands glowed green as she healed his companions at the table, "Worry not, you were exhausted. I've already healed you, so you should be doing better. You can relax."

"I dunno about that." Yuffie chimed in hanging upside down from a beam on the ceiling, grinning widely, "Someone must be thinking about him. Oh, what would Kairi say?"

"It matters not." Leon, who had waited all that time leaning on a wall, told them as he stood up, "Now, tell me exactly what happened."

After that exposition, Sora got to the main dish, "…she said I was a King of Light."

"Yet you used darkness…" Leon shut his eyes, "Now I don't know who's more of a pain, you or that other king."

Yuffie saw her chance to bring a joke, winking at the stoic man, "Giving the Light and Darkness points here, they choose them really cute."

"Fortunately, they chose very stubborn, thickheaded kids." Cid replied from his chair with a mug of coffee.

Sora beamed, "Thanks…" he paused, "Hey, why was that an insult!?"

The pilot grinned, "It's the best compliment I can give ya, kid. After all, you used darkness but that Keyblade's still hanging to you without changing. That's one weight off my shoulders."

"Back off, please." Goofy started, "Sora's used darkness just once, but he's still filled with light?"

"Nah, something is keeping him tied to light." The gruff man replied, "Betting on this is tough. I'd say he must have something to balance what he did."

"Twin kings, huh?" Leon mused, "Reminds me of an old fairytale… But… Dammit, the only book I saw about it is probably long gone."

Hearing him growl soured everyone's mood, "What's going on?" Donald asked, "Can't you get a copy?"

Cid shook his head, "No can do. He must be thinking of a book back at our world. Sad thing is, we had to leave there real quick. I basically grabbed them by the diapers before booking it on my old ship."

"We'll get it back for sure, Leon." Aerith told the man with a small smile, "After all, we have two kings fighting against Maleficent and her lackeys."

The man sighed, "They're our only shot, that's for certain." He turned to the boy and spoke firmly, "If this is going on, then you and Naruto are in for something big. Learn to use your new powers, but never, not even for once, give in to that darkness. The moment you start abusing it, the closer you'll be to becoming a Heartless."

"Don't worry, I'm not planning on falling that easy." The brunet gave them a thumb up, "After all, there are many worlds I want to see."

"And girls to rescue, right?" Yuffie teased, jumping down with a grin.

"Hey, what's that about?" Sora asked, confused.

She put on a playful smile, worrying Donald and Goofy, "Well, I may have heard you talking in your sleep about being a knight and saving a dame in distress…"

Sora blushed, "Of course, I have to find Kairi!"

Yuffie crossed her arms, a mock-thoughtful look on her grinning catty face, "Would that make her Queen of Light? Hmm, how'd she look in a wedding dress? Have you given it any thoughts?"

Blurting out words was Sora's biggest flaw, he was a fighter first, a thinker… sometimes, "Wait, how'd you know about those dreams?"

Everyone stared in stunned silence, even Yuffie, "Oh… I was poking fun about you being so into getting her back… What dreams are we talking about?"

The boy blushed, "Uh… Gotta go!" he swiftly grabbed Donald and Goofy, both stunned beyond words as they were dragged behind.

"W-Whoa, slow down, Sora!" Goofy pleaded.

"Why us!?" Donald quacked angrily.

Yuffie blinked before seriously nodding, "That was a thing."

"Teenagers…" Aerith sighed slightly tired.

 **DIVE**

 **INTO**

 **THIS**

 **KINGDOM**

 **OF**

 **FOOLS**

 **DROWNED**

 **IN**

 **THEIR**

 **ARROGANCE**

As the gang followed the little mermaid, someone observed them in a dark grove.

"What adorable if silly little ones." Chortled an obese woman with spiked up white hair, purple skin, plump lips, and a tight black outfit that matched the tentacles that were her lower body.

In a crystal ball atop a clam – acting someone like a pearl – she watched the party follow the redhead native to her world before a voice made her turn, "I needn't remind you to be careful, Ursula." Maleficent was behind her, or rather a projection of herself. The see-through effect told that much, "Our dear king took Jaffar's heart, and it seems that wretched Mirage is sending him your way."

"My dear, you forget that Hades and Jaffar aren't as patient as yours truly when it comes to making a deal." The sea witch told her, leaning over the edge of her clam-table to look at them, "It appears they are with a true denizen of darkness. Will she put a challenge or is she another stepping stone?"

Her smirk was matched by the horned sorceress', "Patience, Ursula. As delightful as it'd be for me to see that foolish winged puppet fail for you to use her body as ingredients, we have an agenda."

The octopus woman sighed as she swam to a shelf stacked to the brim with bottles, all filled with differently colored liquids, "I do know, but can you blame me?" she said as she started mixing up potions. "To see a cutie like that around makes me want to play, and play naughty at that. Hmmhmhmhmhm…" she hummed out a merry laugh.

"Should you succeed, understand how powerful he is. There was a reason we joined forces, after all." Maleficent moved her astral projection towards the sea witch as Ursula brewed something, "Jaffar's defeat was a possible sacrifice as well as that fool Oogie Boogie. But with Hades' help and all of our expertise combined with Kaguya's powers, the king shall be ours."

"And when he is…" Ursula smirked as she took a swig of her potion, her voice changing into a sweet, alluring female one, "It shall be fair game to see who can win our little game."

Maleficent nodded, knowing the game fully well as did Kaguya. The two horned women knew that their allies would be in it for the power of the King of Darkness, so everyone was trying to tip the scales. All for the sake of truly controlling such a limitless source of darkness. However, Maleficent's words were true. They needed each other, and while some of them weren't, the alliance was made by Kaguya because the goddess knew what it meant to try to fight a King of Darkness. Should everything fail, at least they had a chance.

"I shall eagerly wait for that day." She told the purple woman, "But I will be kind only once. Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't. Rushing things now may be your downfall as it was for Jaffar and Oogie."

A feminine chuckle escaped a brunette with long hair, brown eyes, a body that rivaled Ariel's, and a dark blue tail with a purple seashell bra. On her neck was a spiral shell necklace, and her bright red lips curved up into a smirk, "Thanks, but no thanks, my dear. I know how to play with fools. After all, contracts were always my forte."

 **WILL**

 **YOU**

 **TRICK**

 **HIM**

 **OR**

 **END**

 **AS**

 **HIS**

 **NEXT**

 **MEAL**

 **? ? ?**

 **XXXXXX**

And that's my rap!

Pairings (so we're all clear): Naruto with Alice, Terra, Jasmine, the Darkness since many of you want her in, and maybe Demona and/or another possible addition, but not beyond double digits. Sora with Kairi. Steven with Connie.

I'd like to thank The Lord Of Pages for helping me with the designs for the party's Atlantis form. I've got to say I'm a bit impressed with some of his ideas, though I disagreed with a few. It's the good thing of having a great friend, though, we can discuss how to make this story fun and put effort into improving. And the fact we both love this story despite some issues I have makes it more fun.

Anyway, yes, I want Naruto to have a small harem of five to six girls top, I don't want to reach the double digits. If you guys manage to convince me to add another girl, I may think on it, but there will be a limit. For now, the party will have to deal with Ursula and her tricky schemes. But the big reveal here is that, yes, the villain alliance is as shaky as it should've been expected. They're in it for their own gain.

Expect a few backstabs, but let me say that Kaguya and Maleficent have some plans that others haven't seen.

Swordslinger out!


	20. Different Beasts

I OWN NOTHING

Well, time to see what Sora, Kairi, and a certain girl of pure darkness and bizarre love for blond, thickheaded, but loveable kings are up to.

 **Naruto's harem** (since some of you had some decent and more than decent arguments): Alice, Terra, Jasmine and the Darkness. Possible additions being Demona, perhaps Ariel if my beta The Lord Of Pages can help me with it, and a mysterious extra. I may add more, but for now I still strongly stick to the whole "no more than 9 girls" rule I made.

 **XXXXXX**

 _FORGIVE_

 _ME_

 _FOR_

 _NOT_

 _AIDING_

 _YOU_

 _BETTER_

 _MY_

 _CHILD_

A lone figure awoke, finding a door that served to give said odd figure's back some support. Opening and closing one's eyes could only get a person so far. This one tried to recall what had happened, see what it was that left everything to change so radically. Memories of a whiskered, blue-eyed boy saying he'd take care of things, images of dark beings swarming around, and then…

"Oh no…" the figure got up on shaky legs, grunting, "N-Not now… I must help him… Everything that's happened after our failure, those things… Something must have happened to him to make things this way!" another noise of pain escaped into the air as a sign came into view, "Traverse Town…? Could he be here?"

Groaning gutturally, the newcomer used every bit of strength remaining in tired bones to move forward.

"The heck's that?" Cid asked as he chewed on his large toothpick, noticing the folk around his shop making a circle around the gates.

Inside the town, colorful people from many different worlds stared at the newest arrival to their town. Some seemed to have sympathy, others looked dejected, and several had no idea what to say or do. Seeing a new visitor like that meant that a world had been lost. To them, that was enough of a bad memory to be unsure of whether to approach the new lost soul or not.

"W-What the!? How's he still alive!?" he heard someone ask.

Needless to say, the sound of screaming was enough of an alert that things were getting hairy, so the shopkeeper raced to the crowd. Just in time, too, for he was there to catch the newcomer with a gasp of horror as he lifted a hand up, seeing blood on it. The gruff man was shocked that the figure that collapsed on him could still breathe despite being soaked in blood.

"Dammit, where's Aerith when you need her!?" he tried not to exert himself as he grabbed the blood-soaked arrival and carried the unconscious to his base.

Yuffie was there, and got pushed aside as Cid approached the bed, "Hey, I was read- What happened to this one!?" Once she threw a magazine, the kunoichi examined the kind of person Cid brought and laid on the bed with an eyebrow raised, "Well, this is certainly an odd one…"

"Tell me about it, kid's half-dead and yet still clung to me as I… What the heck're you doing here!? Go get Aerith!"

"S-Sure!" the kunoichi squeaked and raced off to find the brunette.

Cid for his part spat out his toothpick and examined the one before him, "Don't die on me or I'll be going to get you out of the Underworld, kid!" he grabbed everything he could to heal his guest.

As for Yuffie, she was running to get the pink-clad young woman, but found the next best thing, "Guys, good to see you!" she sighed in relief as she approached Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"What's the matter, Yuffie?" Goofy asked, "Ya look as if you've seen a ghost."

"If we don't hurry, there may be one!" she exclaimed, before taking a moment to shake her head in order to clear her thoughts, "Listen, long story short: I need you guys' magic to heal someone, fast!"

"Where!?" Sora asked, part of him worried that it could be Riku or Kairi, but he was still worried for whoever it was and their well-being.

"The old hideout, quick." The kunoichi raced forward with the trio following her as best they could.

And, as soon as they got to the entrance, a couple yards from the door, they saw things would be bad. Before they could react, the road was blocked by new five Heartless. Each of them possessed humanoid if very tiny bodies. Standing barely a few inches taller than Donald, all of them sported black traditional ninja outfits, had kunai blades instead of hands and feet, and the veil covering their faces had the Heartless symbol.

Yuffie scoffed, "Trying the ninja gig in front of the best? You've made it personal, bubs." She pulled out a large shuriken, smirking as she readied herself to fight with the others.

The shinobi Heartless, called Stealth Blades, vanished in five matching clouds of smoke. With Yuffie at their side, the males of the now quartet felt more confident. However, they didn't let their guards down and as one reacted when hearing blades slicing the air behind them. All four moved forward. Yuffie did a cartwheel and threw her weapon, Sora rolling and doing the same. Goofy turned and parried a strike with his shield whereas Donald jumped forward before summoning a lightning bolt behind him.

But just as their attacks were about to connect, all five Stealth Blades vanished once again in clouds of smoke, "Where now!?" Donald asked, looking from one side to the other.

Sora felt something at the back of his head, as if he was tickled by adrenaline, and spun to see one of them diving at him from the sky, twirling its body like a drill. He rolled around and summoned his Keyblade to shoot a fireball at it. And once again, the Stealth Blade disappeared in a cloud of smoke, replaced by a taller and new Heartless. It looked like the others, only that it was a head taller, its hands were actual hands, and it had a large shuriken on its back. It threw it, the weapon magically spinning around it.

"No fair, that's my trick!" Yuffie complained with a cute pout as she cartwheeled away, grabbing her own shuriken before throwing it at the Heartless.

It, as it should've been expected from the others, disappeared in a cloud of smoke, too, "Oh come on!" Donald complained and held up his magic rod, "Urgh, that's it! Freeze!"

With a wave of his wand, the duck covered the floor in ice, making one of them fall on its back. Goofy was quick to jump at it, shield on his stomach, and body-slammed the dark being. However, after getting hit it, you guessed it, disappeared in a cloud of smoke only to reappear somewhere else, unharmed. Sora grit his teeth and held his Keyblade tighter.

"Come on, there has to be a way to hit these guys!" he said and tried to find something in the vicinity to help him as the Stealth Blades and their leader, a Stealth Striker, approached them.

As if some deity heard them, their prayers were answered by the words of, "Dynamic… EXIT!"

Coming out of the window to Yuffie and her friends' hideout was the odd visitor in his bandaged, if slightly less bloody form. Wearing a green full-body jumpsuit that was torn to shreds in several parts, bandages on his arms and hands, and orange leg-warmers, he looked odd. Odder was his natural look: a black bowl cut, thick eyebrows akin to a caterpillar each, and eyes that'd fit a doll or a bug more. He looked to be around Naruto's age, perhaps a year older, and had a fiery flame of determination in his eyes.

Cid voiced everyone's thoughts when the kid just burst through the window and kicked one of the Stealth Blades' head so hard he sent it crashing through a wall: "WHAT THE BULL AND A HALF SHIT!?"

"Sir, language!" the green-clad boy said firmly as he took an odd pose with his left arm behind his back, his body in a straight posture, and his right hand forward with the palm upwards as if telling his enemies to go get him. He also blushed, "There's a fairly cute young lady here! You shouldn't use such language in front of any kind of girl!"

Telling Cid to be mindful of his words was like taking a piss over a cliff, "How the shit are you even standing!?"

Everyone, even the Heartless, stared at the boy in shock and, mostly, confusion, "I am Rock Lee, the Wild Green Beast of the Leaf!" he narrowed his eyes as he gave the Heartless a shiny smile, "And I shall not let an innocent bystander, his pets, and a young lady be bothered by these monsters! Time for me to show you the passionate fire of my youth!"

"Cid, did you hit his head or something!?" Yuffie asked, making Rock Lee nearly trip.

"P-Please don't be so mean!" he pleaded politely, "I'm here to help you and your little brother."

"Uh… not related." Sora said with a finger raised as if talking in class.

Before they could keep talking, one of the Stealth Blades tried to rush at Rock Lee from his side… and instantly got kicked in the face when the boy jumped, spun in the air, and brought his heel on it. The other saw it disappear from the sheer brute force of the kick, turning into a heart that flew into the sky.

Ready for battle, Lee spoke up, "If your enemy will run every time you try to attack, let them take the initiative! Then, crush them with a counter!" he told the others, who nodded.

Each one took their own, keeping Lee's advice in mind. As one, the Stealth Blades and the Stealth Striker rushed at the party. Donald and Goofy were targeted first with two running side to side. The knight waited for them to be close and stepped forth, letting their bladed arms crash against his shield before he pushed them back. Jumping over his much taller friend, the duck wizard aimed his magic rod and summoned icy projectiles that nailed them in the chest, killing them instantly.

"Take that!" the duck cheered, finally happy to have landed a hit.

Sora went after the Stealth Striker who was backed up by the remaining two Stealth Blades, so both Yuffie and Lee went to his aid. Both the green-clad boy and kunoichi noted that both were running with the same style, arms back and bodies inclined forward. Not wanting to waste time talking, they followed Sora. Everyone kept their charge until the Heartless attacked. The leader flung his shuriken at them while his lackeys went after the two shinobi.

"Now!" Lee shouted, making the others react.

Bringing up his Keyblade, Sora blocked and returned the shuriken at the leader as if it were a baseball and he his team's star batter. It worked, the confused Heartless was nailed in the face and stunned. The other two saw this and went in to protect their leader. Quickly, Yuffie threw her shuriken at one, watching it reflect the projectile only to get her foot in its face. Meanwhile, Lee used Sora for support by putting his right hand on the kid's shoulder, kicking the remaining enemy in the face.

And to finish it all off, Sora brought up the blade of darkness' bane and cut off the leader's head, and three hearts flew into the sky, "You guys are going to have to try better than that." Yuffie told the vanishing and quite dead Heartless.

"Speaking of doing better…" Lee breathed out as he held his gut and fell on one knee, "I shouldn't… do that on an empty stomach…"

"Cure!" a certain tiny mage squawked as green light engulfed Lee, healing his wounds.

"What…? What kind of magic is this?" the genin asked confused.

"Donald's, of course." Goofy told him.

"You can… talk…?" the confused bug-eyed boy asked, rubbing his head, "I… need some time to process this."

"How about we grab a bite to eat and get you some clothes first?" Yuffie asked, "Not sure how much longer you'll walk in those rags."

 _WORK_

 _TOGETHER_

 _AND_

 _GUIDE_

 _EACH_

 _OTHER_

 _FOR_

 _YOUR_

 _FRIENDS_

"Hmm… Not what I'm used to, but it's not bad." Lee said as he examined his new duds.

Lee was given an aviator outfit that fit him in an odd way. He wore an olive-green aviator's jacket with two patches of spears crisscrossed on both shoulders. Brown leather gauntlets covered his rebandaged hands. For pants he had a pair of olive-green cargo ones with brown boots. Adding to that a large work belt keeping his jacket tightly shut instead of his currently missing headband, and he felt very comfortable.

He turned to Cid, bowing, "Hey, stop it with that, kid. I ain't no king." The repairman said, looking over the duds, "Gotta say, glad those old rags of mine fit you. Haven't used them for so long when I was trying to-"

"Anyway, who are you?" Yuffie interrupted the reminiscing pilot.

"I am Rock Lee, a ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaf!" the boy told them and gave them his pose: thumb up and a literally flashy grin.

"That's odd, I don't think ninjas wear green jumpsuits." Yuffie said with a grin.

Cid grabbed her head, making her bow as he rubbed his chin with his free hand, mock-thinking, "Funny, because we got a snot-nosed one here who dresses nothing like a ninja."

"Can it, old man! I'm a kunoichi!" she said after pushing him off.

"Who're you calling old, tiny!?" the man yelled as he locked glares with her.

The girl mockingly pulled down her eyelid and pulled her tongue out, "What should I call you then, Gramps?"

"I knew it!" Lee shouted, making everyone turn to him, "The way you moved, you have training in the old arts of ninjutsu and some taijutsu." He pumped his fists in excitement, "So there must be a resistance already with the other villages, right? We must make sure those monsters are stopped at all costs! As a genin, I know I may not be much, but let me aid you and act as a representative should we find more from the Leaf!"

His excitement should've been contagious, he thought, but the looks on their faces when everyone stared at the ground told him enough, "Listen, kid." Cid sighed, having gotten used to the talk, "Here's how things really are. And why you helping this kid with the key may have given us a better chance."

After a lengthy explanation, Lee forced his head up, "Then, our chances to win are still there." He clenched his fists, "Then, young man, let me aid you and your Keyblade to end those evil Heartless!"

"What!? No! Absolutely not!" Donald crossed his arms, "We've meddled enough with other worlds! If we bring you in-"

"We'd have that dynamite power of his!" Sora retorted, "I thought we agreed that the rules were stupid at best."

"Even so, rules are rules. And the three of us are enough."

"Not sure about that." Yuffie told them while eyeing the trio, "You're a very small party compared to what I and the old man here used to be part of."

"As the tiny brat said…" Cid fake-coughed as he walked forward, "Four heads are better than three when it comes to taking on an entire army of darkness, kiddies."

"Make that five." The girl said as she bowed with a catty grin, "After all, seeing Lee in action got me interested to see what his taijutsu's like. I could add something to my repertoire."

"Taiju… Tai…" Sora tried to say the word, almost as if tasting it, "What's that mean?"

"Hand-to-hand combat." Lee said, clenching his new leather gloves, "And I took to it to make everyone know I can be a great ninja without jutsus, only my strength and youth!"

"Oi, are you also implying I'm old?" Cid asked tiredly, "Because I'll have ya know, I'm-"

"But you, young man!" Sora jumped back, startled, as Lee closed in on him, "Your form, technique, and even footing are sloppy! How have you gotten so far fighting those monsters?"

"Oh…. Well, Riku and I always sparred and he taught me a few tricks with some pointers…" the boy replied, "I'm mostly self-taught…"

Lee felt his jaw reach for the floor before he swiftly grabbed the red-clad boy by the hood and dragged him out, "We shall rectify that, young man! From now on, call me Lee-sensei! Weapons is my teammate's area of expertise, but I know enough to help polish your form! First, we'll start with a thousand push-ups and sit-ups!"

"WHAT!?" the boy screamed in horror as he was dragged out of the house.

"Uh, should we go after them?" Goofy asked.

"No, if he makes it alive, he may be worthy of the Keyblade." Donald replied.

"I'm not missing this for the world." Yuffie said with her catty grin, waving at the two small warriors, "Please make sure a lady has a room for herself in your ship. See ya."

And she was gone in a cloud of smoke, leaving Cid and the other two to sigh, "Kids…" the trio breathed out. Cid spoke next, "Want some coffee?"

"Please and thank ya." Goofy said, "Haven't felt this tired since Maxie was born."

"Who's Maxie?" Cid asked.

"Oh, he's my boy." Goofy told him with a large grin.

The blond pilot stared, beyond baffled, "You're a father…?"

"Only one out of the three of us…" Donald sighed.

Goofy patted his friend's back, "Daisy and you'd make a lovely set of parents, old pal. Who knows? Maybe the queen may surprise us after the king's return."

"Oh crap, I'm getting old…" Cid realized in horror before shaking his head, "Never mind, saving the world comes first."

 _MOVE_

 _FORWARD_

 _AS_

 _ONE_

 _TO_

 _WHAT_

 _YOUR_

 _HEARTS_

 _DREAM_

After the training was over, Sora, Yuffie and Lee returned with the latter beaming, "It was a good first time, Sora-kun. Next time, we shall make sure you surpass your limits from this session."

Yuffie looked at the brunet in question with pity as they entered the small living room she and her friends used as a base, "Anything to say to that?"

Sora was bruised, tired, and using his Keyblade as a cane after being done with Lee's training, "Phil's got nothing on this guy…" he grunted as he walked in and plopped down on the chair.

"What's the plan, then?" Cid asked, "Greenie here is a one-man army, and the sooner I get rid of Yuffie, the better."

Said girl puffed her cheeks, "Hey! You should be crying until your tears run dry, old man!"

"Of joy, that is." He shot back.

Lee, who was seated straight, brought up a hand with a firm look on his face, "I'd like to help you and find someone who may be related to this."

"Wait, what? Why didn't you say something like that in the first place?" Cid asked, slightly angry.

Lee didn't bring down his hand, "I wanted to make sure I could follow Sora-kun, so I waited for them to be ready. But then Sora-kun's form changed my mind, I had to rectify his style."

"Lower the hand, kid." The pilot told him, "And who is this person who's so special you think is related to everything? You're not the first one to claim so given how many people use the Heartless, you know?"

"But he would not be using them, I fear they'd use him." Lee said, "We were on a mission to stop a missing member of our village. But we failed, and he was supposedly dead until his return after two months. When we heard, we knew something big would happen. It can't be a coincidence. That's why I have to see for myself what Naruto-kun has to do with this."

"Wait, what!?" Donald asked as shocked as everyone, "Sora, did you hear that?"

"Yep, I am working on believing it." The brunet answered.

"What are you talking about, Sora-kun, Donald-san?" Lee asked intrigued.

"Is this Naruto...familiar to you?" the Keyblade wielder asked.

"He was someone who while reckless I considered a worthy rival." Lee said firmly, "And if he's somewhere, I'm sure he's trying to change this. Something bigger than his dreams is moving him. After all, he wouldn't have told our leader, Tsunade-sama, he may not return for something petty. Whatever he's after is worth his lifelong dream… No, perhaps even his own existence. That's why I must find and help him."

"Well, you're not wrong about it possibly costing him his life." Sora said.

Lee blinked, stupefied, "You've met him!? Is he alright!?"

"More than alright with all those girls around him, if you know what I mean." Yuffie winked.

Lee felt crushed, "S-So Naruto-kun left us for… a perverted dream?"

"No, don't listen to her, ever! Never take her words seriously!" Cid shouted, grabbing his forehead, "This'll be a long day…"

Embarrassed, the taijutsu specialist felt his cheeks heat up, "Oh, sorry, I'm not good with girls or sarcasm." Lee said with a polite bow.

Cid took a deep breath, trying to relax, "Don't sweat it, kid. Just make sure to never believe that tiny-"

"You better be talking about Sora, old man." Yuffie growled, being very touchy regarding her height.

"Hey!" the brunet exclaimed.

The blond man knew his hands would be full, "Listen, how about you all go out, chill, and see what your next plan is. Frankly, the less Yuffie there's around here, the more I can focus on my work. And if you could at least move your legs as much as you do your gums, get out there and start kicking the Heartless out of whatever world you go into."

"First off!" Lee's firm voice made them turn to him when the green-clad shinobi stood up, "Please, take good care of me as I am new to this!" he bowed after shouting that, before hardening his eyes, "Secondly, do forgive my rudeness for not letting you reply, I ask that you allow me to help anyway possible! For a comrade to throw away his dream for others, people who I know for a fact are all of you, I can't stay idle! Let me help you for the sake of a fellow Leaf shinobi's hopes and dreams!"

"Lee..." Goofy whispered, baffled, "Wow, yer a real nice fella. Ahyuck, I wish my Maxie met ya soon. You'd be great pals."

There was a fire in Lee's eyes as he turned to the captain, "Sure, Goofy-san! I could teach your son, brother, or whoever this Maxie is to enjoy his youth and push himself beyond his limits!"

"Thanks!" the dog replied with a wave.

Yuffie just stared, as dumbfounded as the others, "Does this guy have an indoors voice?"

"I think it's better this way..." Sora said with a chuckle, "The weirder we are, the more fun we'll have."

"Then your journey's going to be smiles and sunshine, kid." Cid retorted.

 **MY**

 **TRUE**

 **KING**

 **SHALL**

 **BECOME**

 **OUR**

 **RIVER**

 **IN**

 **THIS**

 **DESERT**

The Darkness was an immortal girl of few pleasures. Dark hearts, pillaging the light, beating up children of the light, fantasizing about her true king, making plans to make powerful children with said king, and candy. Yes, even beings of pure evil have a sweet tooth. What she had in her hand was a sweet treat from her current future king's homeland, dango.

And she was enjoying it almost as much as the countless hearts around her. "This is true delight." She told herself on her throne in the dark realm, where behind her many people were kept in pink crystal shards, "Your hearts and their ambitions can only get you so far." She told them, not expecting a reply at all as she giggled with a predatory grin, "At least my king is better at accepting and using those."

Lord Dominator stared at her nails, bored, "Hard to believe our king was kept down by them." She sighed, "I mean, whoa, hold up. They're blessed with so much power and still have time to put down boys who are trying their best because of coincidence? Ugh, I've destroyed planets for less, and that's pathetic."

"There's still a few of them with proper hearts, one of them who's missing." The dark girl said with a scowl.

Dominator rested a hand on her hip, "Worry not, I sent a few troops after that one. Oh, and I got the newbie ready."

Then the green girl pulled out a chain, putting a certain dark-haired boy on his knees before her queen, the same one who tried to kill Naruto. However, he was forced to wear a blindfold and a cloth to around his mouth to keep him quiet. All he could do was obediently follow Dominator, who kicked him hard on the back to make him walk to her mistress.

The Darkness stared at him in disgust "Given all he did to my beloved, I want him to suffer the most before he's turned into a Heartless. That Kaguya already had her hands on those Akatsuki and even that snake Orochimaru. Not to mention their lackeys…" she put a hand on her chin, "This weakling is the best we got. But given our king's history with him, he could be useful once the process is done."

"And these hearts here?" Dominator asked, "For you to not eat them is…"

The Darkness snickered, "Do you think a king is a ruler without subjects? I want him to see them and rule over them, to make them regret everything they did wrong to him. And if he desires to sample their pathetic little hearts, so be it." A shark grin appeared on her face, "I shall let him enjoy himself and see what wonderful new children we can make with that power."

Dominator mimicked the smirk, "And what of the Light? That king and his wife took her too soon."

Scowling, the small girl answered, "She's always hiding, so why will it be different this time? If anything, all she did was give the new King of Light a heads up. And I will have his heart on a platter. My true king could use a decent enough peon like him as a servant or a meal." She stood up and walked to Sasuke, who was shaking in fear, "But first, let's see how pathetic that heart is."

Agonizing, muffled screams echoed in the dark realm when her hand stabbed his chest, gripping the boy's heart with a mad grin.

She pulled out, holding the heart with an amused expression that Dominator matched, "Anything you'd like me to do, boss? Whip the newbie into shape, devour his heart and see if it's worth anything, name it."

Holding the boy's heart tightly, clutching it and making the body before them twitch in pain, the tiny evil girl giggled, "Nothing of the sort. I've plans to make this one's suffering far worse than imaginable. What I'd love is to get that twisted Bill Cipher away from that princess. His games could foil our plans, and her heart would be a perfect appetizer for our king as well as a motive to end the new King of Light."

Dominator's smirk turned truly sadistic, "No need to speak, I can fill the blanks. Oh, this should be fun, messing that one-eyed creep's fun is icing on the cake."

Meanwhile, Kairi and the Gems had arrived to a new place. Tinkerbell fluttered behind the redhead while the tiny Shadow Oswald crawled behind her, its head twitching from side to side.

"Oh my, last time I saw this architecture was around the time spears stopped being wielded." Pearl commented as her eyes examined a long red-carpeted floor, knight armors decorating the sides.

"Design's as tacky as the big Ds'." Amethyst grumbled, "All glitter but so…you know, empty."

"People like that." Kairi stared into the distance, "Feels almost familiar…"

"Anything on your mind?" Garnet asked.

Shaking her pretty red-haired head, the girl answered, "Nothing big. I'm just reminded how much I want to see Sora and Riku to have our adventure with Naruto."

" _Is one of them the worthy guy you said I'd be interested in?_ " Tinkerbell asked, before shrugging, " _Honestly, anything works to make Peter regret treating me like dirt._ "

"Heh, I think Naruto's a good guy." Kairi giggled, "Sure, he and Sora are alike, but he's the one that definitely needs a good girl to love."

" _What of this Sora, then?_ " the fairy asked.

Grinning with a faint blush, Kairi retorted with, "Here's the girl he needs." She put her hands on her hips.

" _Heh, I liked you already, this makes me like you even more._ " Tinkerbell nodded before floating around them, " _Anyway, I'll warn you. I can't help you fly all the time. Unless you're from my world or are there, you'll have to remain on the ground._ "

"Really!?" Amethyst groaned, blowing a strand of her off her eyes, "Come on, after how awesome that was, you can't just say that! What can you do, then!?"

"Amethyst!" Pearl exclaimed, frowning at her partner's lack of manners.

" _Well, I can't blame her._ " Tinkerbell said, arms crossed as she pouted, " _I will say that was rude. I can still use my dust to heal wounds..._ "

"Stick close to Kairi, then. We have our ways to deal with damage." Garnet said.

"Please and thank you in advance, Tinkerbell." Kairi said with a beaming smile, "Hehehe, I fear I'll rely on you a lot for this."

"Well dear, it's nice to have this settled, but dillydallying won't get us anywhere." The ballerina Gem stepped forward, "Now, if we could find this place's owner, explain our situation, and deal with that wicked C-"

" **ROOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRR!** "

Everyone tensed up and jumped back a few feet, though Oswald merely scratched its head with its claw, "Well, let me rephrase that." Pearl coughed into her fist to control her flustered cheeks, "We will avoid whoever gave out that roar and see if there's anyone who needs our help while dealing with Cipher."

Garnet's soft, deep voice halted that thought, "You'll want to rephrase that again."

"Oh me, oh my, oh dear!" cried a walking clock as it raced around a corner into their view, "The master's fury has never reached this height! Oh why!? That Belle girl was doing such a fantastic job! Where did we go wrong!? What kind of travesty caused such rage in him!? What- Oh…" he finally noted the intruders, and their beady-eyed companion, "Ack! Heartless!"

Immediately, it ran off, leaving a dust trail behind while everyone stared.

It took them some time to accept what happened, while Pearl rubbed her face with a hand, massaging the bridge of her nose with two fingers, "Perhaps a meeting is in order." She groaned out.

" _Wait, didn't he say the master was angry?_ " Tinkerbell asked them, " _Do you think that roar was…_ "

"Given our luck…" Kairi started, sighing, "Yeah, whoever roared must be this place's master. And Bill must be the reason things are so crazy."

"Our plan is the same: beat him till he cries his only eye out." Amethyst cheered, slamming a fist into her palm.

"Better and simpler than mine." Kairi replied with a beaming smile.

Pearl narrowed her eyes, "Do not get so careless, beings of chaos like him can warp reality worse than anything you could imagine."

Garnet nodded, "Agreed. Speaking of which..." she held up her fists.

"Tch, you know, I hate girls who can see into the many endless possibilities that fate can weave..." Bill said as he stood inside a painting of a garden, holding a cup which he dipped into the paint of a rose to drink it like Christmas punch, "Mmm...lead and chemicals, perfect."

"What do you want now, Cipher?" Kairi asked, aiming her Keyblade at him while Oswald growled.

Their tormentor and host of horrors started chortling and stepped out of the painting, "Oh my Red, dial that angry dominant attitude back, don't you think? You're too cute to scare a guy like me." immediately, his body turned red and became at least five times Garnet's size, taking almost the entire hall, " **And you better bet I haven't forgotten what your pet did to my eye**!"

Oswald snapped his jaws at Bill, "What he said!" Amethyst cheered.

While the girl and the Gems readied their weapons, the fairy fluttered near the redhead to held her in any way or form, and the Heartless latched on its savior's back for support, Bill chuckled, " **Hah! You're a riot! I can and will turn you from the inside out and then use you as hand-puppets! But first!** " snapping his fingers, he shrunk back to his usual self, still holding his cup of red paint which he sipped with a hand, the other twirling a small cane, "I'll make you a fine bet, ladies."

"Do you think we're going to risk our gems for one of your games?" Pearl asked with a glare.

"Fancy, yes. Fun, no." Bill shrugged and poured the drink into his eye, which morphed into a mouth that slurped the paint before he dumped the cup in the eye-mouth, chewed on it, and then turned back to normal, "See, the owner of this place is missing a very precious little flower. Little does he know, Heartless like your pet there are looking to tear into this world's heart and send everything and everyone to nothingness. Now, that's not fun. With nothing, what can I do to have a good laugh?"

"Stick that cane in your eye and hop into a black hole." Amethyst growled at him.

"Oh, sassy, like I haven't dealt with that." Bill aimed a finger gun at Kairi, "Listen, Red – and I'll call you that from now on, yes – let's be real. None of us wants this world to be the Darkness' chew toy. All I want and need is for you girls and your pet to get the flower, give it to the big guy... Oh, and try not to die doing so! Ahahaha!" he laughed madly at the last part.

"What did you do, you one-eyed creep?" Kairi demanded, getting angry at the triangle being's attitude, and it only amused him further.

"Well, someone handsome, short, but overall good-looking may have told the owner of this place what visits to expect and that they may know something about that flower. I'm betting you'll have some fun!"

And with a burst of blue fire, he was gone, "I really hate that guy." Amethyst sneered at the flickering flames.

"Feeling's mutual." Garnet replied, "Now, we better move around. As for that flower..." she turned to Oswald, who stared back, "Can you smell it, little guy?"

Kairi looked at the Shadow on her back, "Garnet, please explain why you think that makes sense. He... doesn't even have a nose."

"Oh, I see." Pearl snapped her fingers, "Heartless are attracted to one's strongest emotions, mostly dark ones to feed from them, but they also search for pure ones if it helps them..."

"If a flower's so important to this large house's owner..." Kairi connected the dots, pulling Oswald off her back and placing him on the floor, patting his head, "Come on, boy. Sniff around."

Tilting its head cutely to the side, Oswald merely stood still, worrying them, " _I don't want to be too rude, but is he smart enough to understand what we need?_ " Tinkerbell asked.

Suddenly, Oswald's head shot to a side, its body jerking before it hopped and ran rapidly into a hall. Going downstairs, passing through large and majestic walls and doors, they charged through a massive ballroom into a garden. The place was massive, to say the least, with large bushes decorated with wonderful flowers, the night sky illuminating beautifully the lively grass, and Heartless.

"It seems they're after the same scent." Garnet commented as some gargoyle statues with the dark beings' emblem hopped to them. "Protect the little one."

Ready for battle, the all-female and Heartless team charged. Garnet punched, Amethyst lashed, and Pearl dexterously used her spear. Kairi's admittedly questionable expertise from seeing her best friends fight was useful in swinging her Keyblade. Despite having to keep Oswald safe, the Shadow was quick to merge with the floor if the others got too close to it. It was over quickly, with the gargoyles offering little challenge.

"Back off!" Kairi shouted, and she'd have made Sora proud, as she jumped into the air and delivered a downwards strike with both hands.

Panting to catch her breath, she turned to Oswald, the Heartless nearing an odd statue of some aristocrat which head was smashed to bits. It sniffed the base of the statue, clawing at it. That alone immediately put an already worried Gem even more tense. Pearl was instantly at its side, pulling the small dark being away from the statue with fear all over her face.

"Oh no, you don't!" she scolded Oswald with a frown.

"What're you doing?" Kairi asked, confused.

Pearl ground her teeth, Oswald tried to reach the statue, "I'm worried he found the heart of this world. If he gets there, he could sink this place into utter darkness."

"But-" Kairi wanted to defend her friend, only for Garnet's soft hand on her shoulder to halt her train of thought.

"Listen, you've helped the little one, but you can't change what it is. For now, it's best to keep it away from the heart of any world. Otherwise, this world may end like...yours."

The tallest Gem's words caused Kairi's eyes to widen at the memories. The army of dark beings, the people she knew and loved disappearing into nothingness, and a glimpse into a brief memory of Sora attempting to save her only for the girl's body to disappear in his arms. Amethyst noticed the fear in the girl's eyes, Pearl felt truly sad of whatever bad memories the girl could be going through, and Garnet looked away.

"Yo K..." the purple woman tried to form words, "If it's still a pain, why don't we just put a leash on the guy...girl, whatever it is?"

"It is better to be prepared than sorry." Pearl commented.

"Alright." The girl said, looking at her Keyblade, "But if this world's heart is here, can we do something, anything so it doesn't get-"

" **GET. OUT. OF. MY. CASTLE**!"

Everyone turned to see a large beast, for the lack of a better word. Standing at the top of some stairs leading to a door of the main hall was a being covered with brown fur, a ridiculously muscular upper body, claws sharp enough to carve stone, and horns. He wore a purple cloak, had ragged pants, and canine paws. And when his eyes – surprisingly human – looked at Oswald, he let out a furious roar and jumped at them. As one, they jumped out of his way – or flew in Tinkerbell's case.

Said fairy stuck close to Kairi's back, " _What's his deal!? I've never sensed such fury, not even from Hook!_ " she was shocked at the amount of rage the one before them was oozing. " _Kairi, I'm capable of sensing some people's emotions when they're strong, but his rage is...it's just beyond words._ "

Giving the fairy a nod, Kairi turned to the beast, "We don't want to fight. Please, tell us what's happen-"

She bit back a yelp when the cloaked castle owner lunged at her with a single jump, his claws missing her by a couple inches. Cold sweat covered the girl when she felt the wind getting cut by his claws move some of her hair. When the beast tried to attack her again, she used one of Sora's moves and brought up her sword, parrying the strike though still getting pushed back due to the obvious height and weight difference.

Seeing that, the Gems were quick to react, Amethyst wrapped her whip around the castle owner's arm, pulling him back before Garnet punched him, pushing him away with a solid strike to the gut. However, much to her surprise, the beast was rather sturdy and shrugged off her punch. She readied another, but her arm was grabbed. But before she could get hit, Kairi and Pearl leapt at her side, striking their enraged opponent.

And yet, they only managed to push him back. Filled with unbridled rage, the beast roared again, "Give me back my rose!" he demanded after he skidded to a halt.

"Would you believe we want to give it back and are looking for it to do so?" Pearl replied, offering the obvious owner of the castle a sheepish smile.

A louder, angrier roar was his response, "That's a no." Garnet explained, bringing up her gauntleted hands.

"Hey, do you see that?" Kairi pointed at a bizarre black mist that started to ooze from the beast.

"That explains his anger being beyond words." Pearl commented.

"Let's get that weight off his shoulders, then." Kairi retorted with a brave grin. She got into position with the Gems backing her up, the all-female team plus the Heartless getting ready for battle.

Their objective was clear: beat some sense into the castle's master. It started with the beast racing at them, dragging his claws on the ground. Sparks and small bits of debris flew from the marks he left on the floor. Everyone jumped back when he swung at them, slashing in a wide arc and cutting the air where they had stood. When he stepped forward for another claw swing, Pearl's spear clashed against it.

"Wake up!" she shouted and fired a beam of light from the tip of her weapon, making the castle's master stagger back.

"Everyone, keep your distance!" Garnet shouted, but only Kairi heard her.

Growling, the beast rushed at her once again, clawing wildly while the ballerina-like Gem side-stepped the strike with a graceful twirl on a foot's toes. Growing even angrier, the owner of the castle spun around to bring a claw to her mid-section. The acrobatic Gem jumped over the strike, perfectly landing on his wrist before kicking him in the face. It had the desired effect of making him fall, but it didn't seem to hurt him.

Even worse, as soon as he got up, the beast let out another bloodcurdling roar and ran at her like nothing happened, " _He...Pearl, be careful!_ " Tinkerbell shouted worriedly.

The Gem smiled, "I always am!" she slid under another claw swing, and aimed her spear, firing...but this time the beast didn't even flinch, "What!?"

After a mean back-handed strike, she went flying away, "Hey you, big, furry and mean! Try this!" Amethyst shouted, lassoing one of the statue's arms, effortlessly yanked it off, and threw it at the horned being.

Casually, the beast swatted aside the marble projectile before glaring at Amethyst, rushing at her. She replied by morphing her body into that of a large luchador with chest hair and all. Having the castle's master in reach, she grappled him upon feeling her large opponent tackle her. She smirked and lifted him effortlessly before throwing him into the statue, breaking the remains.

" _Amethyst, don't! You're making him angrier!_ " Tinkerbell warned her while the beast got up.

But the Gem was too stubborn, "Don't worry, I'll just keep tossing him around until he gets tired."

As soon as she was tackled, she planned to laugh and do so, but any joy she had was short-lived. Finding her feet sliding back on the ground, she clutched the beast to try to remain up. And it was then that she had finally realized what Tinkerbell meant when she was lifted and thrown so hard into the ground she cracked it. They weren't just making him madder, they were making him stronger. Opening her eyes despite wanting to shut them from the pain, she saw a claw reaching her face. Thanking her morphing powers, she was quick to turn into a purple owl and fly away with a yelp.

"Before any of you says anything about fairness, such a thing doesn't exist." Said the remains of the statue, which had turned into a familiar triangle, "Like my little gift? Granted, I can't let the Heartless take such a lovely, fuzzy, furious hunk of fur, so I gave him something." The statue broke, revealing Bill holding a crystal container with a beautiful glowing rose inside.

"My rose!" the beast growled, the dark aura around him growing thicker.

Pearl was hit with realization, "So that's why Oswald... Oh, I'm so sorry, little one." She told the Heartless, which merely tilted its head in confusion.

"Tell you what, big guy!" Bill made a finger-gun gesture, "Get rid of these girls except Red there, and I'll give you this flower back! Fail to do so..." his hand glowed with blue fire, which he pushed near the flower.

"Wait, what do you need me for!?" Kairi demanded to know, her Keyblade aimed at the lord of chaos, "Answer me, you creep!"

"Oops, did I spoil some fun!?" Bill jested before laughing, holding his equivalent to a gut, "Nah, of course not! I just want to mess around with you, Red! Besides, there are those that need you for their own plots, like the Darkness and those fools who think they can control her and her current crush. Me? All I want is to see you and two boys you hold oh so very dearly close to your heart..." for emphasis, he turned red, his eye showing images of untold otherworldly horrors, "... **TO GO MAD BEYOND REASON! AHAHAHAHAHA!** "

"Like that'd work now that you revealed your plan." Kairi shot back.

Turning back to normal, Bill aimed a finger at the beast, "Oh really? Don't you know what blind with rage is?"

Flying away at a safe distance, Bill let the Gems and Kairi to see Beast's eyes were glowing red, his body fully enveloped in that black mist while the triangular being laughed madly.

Just as they were ready for battle, someone approached them, "Beast, stop!" cried a brunette in a beautiful yellow dress with her hair done up in an elegant hairdo. Her large eyes, innocent features but sharp and intelligent face spoke of a woman unafraid of her actions. Currently, her only fear was for the very being before her, specifically said beast's well-being.

"Belle..." Beast growled, standing in place.

" _His anger is decreasing..._ " Tinkerbell said, " _That girl... I feel something odd, like with you, Kairi... Maybe... Maybe you two can help him!_ "

The redhead looked at the young woman, then at her Keyblade before nodding to herself and standing beside her, "I know this is sudden, but stand by me! We'll snap him out of it!"

Bill was both shocked angry, " **Ugh, I knew I forgot something! I didn't lead those Heartless to her room for this! What happened to them!?** " he threw his hat to the floor, which bounced it back to his head.

Atop a tower, someone was looking over for Kairi, "Lady Kaguya can't let you or that cat get ahead of yourselves, Cipher. Even less when our king needs Kairi and that girl."

Cracking her knuckles, the stoic Gem nodded to the others, "Alright, let's kick his butt and keep Kairi safe."

Amethyst grinned, "Same as usual, eh? I like it."

Before anyone could say another word, the monster let out a terrible roar and lunged at them. He threw his fist at Kairi's face, but she ducked in time – pulling Belle with her to avoid the blow. Beast ended up with his hand stuck in the floor. It was then that Amethyst got to get a good look of his scowling, fang riddled face.

"Whoa, ugly!" she yelled, earning a scowl from Pearl. "What? He is!"

As a reply, the beast tried to cut her down with his claws after pulling his claw out of the ground. Protecting her friend, Pearl parried the blow with her spear's hilt and leapt away.

Kairi, ever sweet and determined to help, tried to speak from the heart, "Listen to us, we're trying to protect you and this world! Please, this girl's worried about you!"

In spite of her efforts, Beast didn't look like he was going to be civilized. He charged at her yet again, threatening to bite the girl's head off with his huge fangs. However, the largest Gem was right there to grab him by the jaws, thanking her gauntlets' endurance while keeping him at bay. Garnet grunted, but Beast and her were at a standstill. And there was someone else who still wasn't ready to give up on him, Belle.

The brunette stepped forth to persuade him to listen to reason once more. "Listen, Beast, you must know these people don't want to hurt you! None of us them are after the rose! One of them saved me from those horrid Heartless!" that bit of news surprised Garnet, whose grip loosened enough for Beast to fling her aside.

Focusing on the brunette and the redhead, the castle's master ran at the two and slashed the floor with wild mad swings of his claws.

Seeing as they weren't making much progress, Kairi bit her lower lip, "Beast, you better understand this is for your own good." Of course, she meant swinging her Keyblade as Beast leapt to her.

Kairi jumped and rolled around him, but her opponent turned out to be faster than expected. He took a swipe at the girl, who was sent flying across the garden and crashed right into a bush. The injuries she suffered were, thankfully, not deep. And even more fortunately, Tinkerbell was by her side, using her dust to heal her wounds with a worried look on her face.

" _My dust may not help you fly here, but I can at least heal you._ " She said with a small smile.

"That's more than good enough..." Kairi said and turned to Beast.

He was walking to Belle, who was worried as he towered over her... Until Oswald jumped and clung to his face, scratching him! "Good job, little dude...! Er, dudette! Uh, whatever you are!" Amethyst cheered.

The stubborn beast easily pulled the Heartless off his face and threw it at the floor, making it bounce before the purple Gem was right on his face. She dodged another claw swing and then swung her whip at his mouth. It only infuriated him far more, but she had a grip on his snapping jaws to keep Belle safe from him. With that kind of chance, Pearl raced at him, evaded his next swing and counterattacked with a series of swift strikes to his gut. The thin Gem successfully made Beast take a step back, holding his wound. By that time, Tinkerbell had already fully regenerated Kairi's wounds.

The Beast stared at Kairi with great anger, " **Get out of here**!" he screamed.

"After you snap out of it!" was her answer.

Belle stood by her side, "Beast!" she exclaimed. "It's me, Belle! You promised we'd dance! After all that's happened, I still want to have a wonderful night with you, but only the real you!"

A light emanated from Belle's heart, shocking her, which was mirrored by one on the tip of Kairi's Keyblade, "That's impossible!" Bill, who had been watching everything, exclaimed in disbelief, "How can these two princesses be that in tune with the light when the big lady's hiding!? What's the meaning of this!? Did that glowing chick give this brat something!?"

The light blinded Beast, who lunged at the redhead and the brunette, yet they were protected by Pearl who skillfully caught his claws with her spear before delivering a potent kick to his jaw. As he lied on the ground, Amethyst morphed into a luchador again and quickly jumped on top of him for a body-slam. She pinned his arms to keep him from moving. Of course, Beast's anger made it hard for the purple Gem to keep him down, so Garnet held his legs, while Kairi aimed her Keyblade at him, simultaneously moving her and Belle's light towards Beast.

"Beast, come back!" the brunette pleaded. "Please, I don't want to see you suffer like this!"

Her words were the final push as the combined light flew at the castle's master, nailing him directly in the heart and dissipating the black mist. Beast struggled for a few moments. It was hard for the two more brawn-leaning Gems to contain him. He had gotten insanely strong due to Bill's 'gift'. But at last, the horned castle owner came to and shook his head.

He got a good look at the new guests of his castle as Garnet and Amethyst got off him, "...who are you?" he mumbled.

Sighing in relief, Kairi spoke up, "It's a long story, but first..." she looked up at the furious triangular man, "There's someone we need to deal with."

 **XXXXXX**

And that's my rap!

Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I felt that this chapter was getting long!

Anyway, yes! I'm giving Sora extra party members so he can measure up to Naruto and Kairi. Sadly, he was staying behind them but I hope to rectify that sooner than later. He's missing only one more party member, which I won't name to leave you with the suspense. As for Kairi, her party's complete, as is Naruto's. So, yeah, that's all the mad help they're getting.

Other than that, I hope to make the most with these additions so the heroes can breathe with the insanity the villains are trying to put them through, quite literally in Bill's case.

Next chapter is Naruto's trip underwater and meeting Sora there to deal with his own part of the madness and perhaps get a certain mermaid princess' heart? I make no promises on the last part, but I'll see what I can do. Hopefully you'll enjoy it all the same even if this is all a fic made for mindless fun with little to no logic. Then again, Naruto and Kingdom Hearts were already flimsy with their logic, just saying.

Swordslinger out!


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